The Effect of Impregnation Ratio on the Surface Characteristics of Gigantochloa Verticillata Bamboo-Activated Carbon

Abstract

The activation process is the final stage in the manufacturing of activated carbon that can be carried out physically or chemically. This paper focuses on characterizing the surface properties of activated carbons from Gigantochloa verticillata bamboo that are chemically activated at 750°C under different impregnation ratios (IRs) of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. The activated carbons produced were denoted as IR1-AC, IR2-AC, and IR3-AC for impregnation ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1, respectively. Characterizations include TGA, SEM, and adsorption isotherm tests. The results of the research show that variation of the impregnation ratio yielded fluctuated content of proximate elements and surface properties of activated carbons. The highest fixed carbon of 75.69% and the lowest ash of 13.10% were obtained by IR2-AC. The highest surface area of 511.10 m2/g and pore volume of 0.561 cc/g was obtained by IR3-AC and IR2-AC, respectively. The activated carbon pores are distributed in micropores and mesopores areas with average pore diameters of 1.245, 2.494, and 1.984 nm for IR1-AC, IR2-AC, and IR3-AC, respectively. The existence of the pores can be found on the surface morphology of activated carbons.