Physical Properties and Structural Analysis of Activated Carbon Produced from Canarium schweinfurthii Seed Using Phosphoric Acid as Activating agent and Its Application on Dye Effluent

Abstract

Activated carbon was produced from Canarium schweinfurthii seed by physical and 
chemical processes. Phosphoric acid was used as an activating chemical at various 
concentrations (30–60%). The reaction conditions were optimized at a 
temperature range of 400–600 °C and a time interval of 20–60 minutes. The raw 
Canarium schweinfurthii seed and carbonized charcoal were characterized using 
parameters like bulk density, percentage yield, moisture content, ash content, and 
percentage of carbon. The uncarbonized Canarium schweinfurthii seed has a bulk 
density of 0.4348, percentage yield 93 %, moisture content 4.7 %, ash content 2.3% 
% and percentage of carbon 93 %, while the carbonized charcoal at temperature 
range of (400 – 600 0C) has a bulk density of (0.4115 – 0.4312 g/cm3), percentage 
yield (80.82 – 86.48 %), moisture content (13 – 17 %), ash content (6 – 2 %) and 
percentage of carbon of (74.005–84.510%). The activated carbon was further used 
to decolorize dye effluent. The experimental data were analyzed using Langmuir, 
Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. After optimization, the activated carbon was 
structurally analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 
Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and X-ray 
diffraction (XRD).