Oil palm kernel shell, which is the
by-product of the palm oil industries, can be used as the
raw material for the production of activated carbon.
Activated carbon has been widely used as an adsorbent in
waste treatment and purification processes due to its high
porosity and large surface area. Among the factors that
affect the porosity of an activated carbon are the precursor
material, the carbonization and the activation operating
parameters. Carbonization process leaves an imprint effect
on the porosity of activated carbon. A study has been
conducted to assess the effects of carbonization time on the
structural development of chars and activated carbons from
oil palm shells. Samples, prepared in a fixed bed reactor,
were carbonized under a continuous flow of oxygen-free
nitrogen at 900oC at different duration of times ranging
from 1 to 12 hours. The chars were further activated using
steam as the activating agent in a fixed-bed reactor at
830oC. The activation time was varied from 40 to 210 minutes
to produce activated carbons with different degree of
burn-offs. Detailed properties of the products obtained are
reported in this book.