Effect of Heating Temperature on the Chemical Structure and of Conductivity Carbon from Candlenut Shells (Aleurites Moluccana)

Abstract

Candlenut Shells is one of the many commodities growing in Indonesia and experiencing rapid progress production development. The shell of candlenut has good characteristic that allow it to be used as carbon. activated carbon is one of material that can be applied for various application. In this paper, we reported the synthesis of activated carbon from candlenut shell in order to get high quality of carbon by controlling the heating temperature in synthesis. Variation of heating temperature in to produce carbon were 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 °C . FTIR Spectroscopy was carried out to determine the functional groups on the carbon from candlenut shells. FTIR analysis during the carbonization process was indicated the change in functional group of chemical structure from the candlenut shell, which is shown by decreasing the absorption spectrum of some functional groups of the candlenut shell after the carbonization process. The carbonization process has formed aromatic C = C and reduction functional group OH (aromatic compounds), C-H (aromatic ring), C-O (vibration ether structure) dan C=O (Ester compounds). And results of carbonization of candlenut shells at various temperatures have an electrical conductivity value that increases with increasing carbonization temperature. The carbonization temperature that is raised to 700 °C causes carbon to be more conductive with an increased electrical conductivity value. XRF characterization results also showed that in addition to carbon elements in the cundlenut shells, other elements were also found such as calcium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, strontium, manganese, iron and zinc. Ca and Mg are the largest content besides carbon.