PRODUCTION OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM COCONUT

SHELL

A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of

B.E.

In

Chemical Science and Engineering

By

Name: Aashish Aacharya Roll No: 1

Name: Ritesh Dahal Roll No: 7

Name: Aakarshan Khanal Roll No: 12

Name: Niraj Neupane Roll No: 18

Name: Aayush Parajuli Roll No: 21

Name: Prajwol Poudel Roll No: 22

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

February 2021
 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project titled PRODUCTION OF ACTIVATED CARBON

FROM COCONUT SHELL is a bonafide record of the work done by

Name: Aashish Aacharya Roll No: 1

Name: Ritesh Dahal Roll No: 7

Name: Aakarshan Khanal Roll No: 12

Name: Niraj Neupane Roll No: 18

Name: Aayush Parajuli Roll No: 21

Name: Prajwol Poudel Roll No: 22

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of

Engineering in Chemical Science and Engineering of the Kathmandu University,

Dhulikhel during the year 2021.

Dr. Prakash Lamichanne Dr. Rajendra Joshi

Project Coordinator Program Coordinator

Department of Chemical Engineering Department of Chemical Engineering

Project Viva-voce held on………………

Internal Examiner External Examiner

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 ABSTRACT

Activated carbon refers to a wide range of carbonized materials of high degree of porosity
and high surface area. It is a form of carbon processed to have small, low-volume pores
that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions.

The present research was conducted for the production of activated carbon from coconut
shell. Coconut shell activated carbons are advantageous over carbons made from other
materials because of its high density, high purity, and virtually dust-free nature. The
chemical activation process was used in this project and Potassium Hydroxide is used as a
main activating agent. The main process involved are carbonization of charcoal and
Impregnation using Potassium Hydroxide for 24 Hours.

The adsorption test was performed in spectrometer at the wavelength of 665 nm. The ash
content and methylene blue number test was done to test the ash content and adsorption
rate of activated carbon respectively. Our report consists of introduction of activated
carbon, methodology of production of activated carbon using KOH as activating agent and
conclusion of our report.

Keywords: carbonized, porosity, adsorption, impregnation

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are extremely thankful to Dr. Rajendra Joshi, the head of Department, Chemical
Science and Engineering who provided us the possibility to complete this project.

A special gratitude we give to our Project Co-Ordinator, Mr. Prakash Lamichanne and
project supervisor, Mr. Sijan Devkota for their guidance and constant supervision as well
as for providing necessary information regarding the project & also for their guidance and
support in completing this project.

A special appreciations to lab technician for providing us with necessary equipment and
chemicals during project completion. We would also like to thank to our teachers and
friends who help us directly or indirectly in our project.

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 Table of Contents

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................. iv
List of Table ....................................................................................................................... vi
List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii
List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature ......................................................... viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ............................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Motivation ................................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 2
1.4 Significance/Importance ........................................................................................... 2
1.5 Working Mechanism ................................................................................................. 2
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 3
2.1 Process Available ...................................................................................................... 3
2.3 Material and Equipment used ................................................................................... 4
2.4 Process Description ................................................................................................... 4
2.5 Result and discussion ................................................................................................ 7
2.6 Deviation/Problems and Remedies adopted ............................................................. 9
2.7 Future Scope ........................................................................................................... 10
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 11
Gantt Chart ........................................................................................................................ 12
APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 13
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 14

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 List of Table

Table 1: Absorbance of methylene blue in different concentration .................................... 7

Table 2: Working schedule ............................................................................................... 12

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 List of Figures

Figure 1: Washing and drying of coconut shell .................................................................. 4

Figure 2: Burning coconut shell in closed container for carbonization .............................. 5
Figure 3: Impregnation of charcoal in KOH solution for 24 hours .................................... 5
Figure 4: Activating in furnace at 600 oC………………………………………………….6
Figure 5: Activated carbon after drying .............................................................................. 6
Figure 6: Flow chart of activation process .......................................................................... 6
Figure 7: Graph of Concentration vs Absorbance .............................................................. 8
Figure 8: Before and after treating ……………………………...…………………………9
Figure 9: Spectrometer…………………………. ............................................................... 9

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 List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature

KOH Potassium Hydroxide

HCL Hydrochloric Acid

AC Activated Carbon

ZnCl2 Zinc Chloride

H2PO4 Phosphoric Acid

NaOH Sodium Hydroxide

Na2S2O3 Sodium thiosulfate

BET Brunauer-Emmett-Teller

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 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is a form of carbon processed to have
small, low volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical
reactions. It is widely used as adsorbents, catalysts and catalyst supports for the removal
of pollutant species from gases or liquids and for purification or recovery of chemicals.
Activated carbon can be produced from different raw carbon resources like lignite, peat,
coal, and biomass resources such as wood, sawdust, bagasse and coconut shells. Activated
carbon is a special type of carbonaceous substance. It has highly crystalline form and
extensively developed internal pore structure. Due to activation, internal pore network is
created which imparts certain surface chemistries (functional groups) inside each particle.
Thus, carbon gets its unique characteristics leading to high surface area, porosity and
greater strength. The absorptivity of the adsorbent depends on both the size of the molecule
being adsorbed and the pore size of the adsorbent.

The production of activated carbon involves two major processes, the pyrolysis of coconut
shells and the activation of char. The shell is first collected and it is burnt to make a coal.
Then the process starts. The characteristics of activated carbon largely depend on the
activation method employed: the physical method and the chemical method. The
physical method of activation involves carbonization of raw material in inert atmosphere
and activation of the char in the presence of carbon dioxide or steam. Chemical activation,
on the other hand, consists of impregnation of chemicals into the raw materials
followed by pyrolysis. In our project we use the chemical activation process for the
production of the activated carbon. Chemical activation has been associated with imparting
surface area and pore development with the carbon structure for many years. Inorganic
materials, such as chalk, lime, Sulfuric acid, calcium chloride and zinc chloride, to name
but a few, have been incorporated into precursors prior to pyrolysis resulting in carbons
with enhanced pore structures and hence large surface areas. Chemical activation is better
than physical activation process because it generally takes place at a lower temperature and
shorter time and the development of a porous structure is better than that of physical
activation.

1.2 Motivation
Our motivation for this project was all about utilizing the resources and further make use
of them to come with the output which can be beneficial to the environment where we live
in. Coconut shells are waste product of the coconut that can be utilized as a source of
activated carbon. Coconut shell activated carbons are advantageous over carbons made

1
from other materials because of its high density, high purity, and virtually dust-free nature.
These carbons are harder and more resistant to attrition. The production process is feasible
and cost effective. The activated carbon has large area of application ranging from the
household uses to the industrial uses.

1.3 Objectives
To prepare microporous activated carbon from coconut shell by chemical activation.

1.4 Significance/Importance
The main aim of this project is to produce high grade activated carbon activated chemically
using the waste product i.e coconut shell using "Waste to Wealth" concept. This activated
carbon can later be used in air and water purification in KU premises.

1.5 Working Mechanism

As we have used KOH as activating agent, we need the temperature of 600 oC for
activation. The activation process was quite simple. All the equipment which we need are
available in our lab which makes the process quite easier.

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 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

2.1 Process Available

There are two process we can use for the production of activated carbon. They are:

i. Physical Activation
Physical activation has traditionally taken place in two stages, carbonization and
activation, however, in recent years, there has been a tendency to perform the two
processes in a single kiln such as a rotary furnace or fluidized bed. The carbonization
step is performed to render the precursor in a suitable form for oxidation or activation,
by dehydrating the starting material. During carbonization the carbons atoms rearrange
themselves into graphite-like structures and the resultant char has an increased fined
carbon content (80% or higher is desirable)

ii. Chemical Activation

In the process of producing activated carbon using chemical agents, it involves
carbonization and activation in a single step in which the raw material, impregnated
with certain chemical agents, is thermally decomposed. The resulting property is
dependent on the property of the raw material and the type of chemical agent used in
the impregnation step. The chemical agents that are usually used are zncl2, H3PO4,
naoh and KOH. What all these chemical reagents have is common is that they are very
excellent dehydrating agent. The adsorption capacity of activated carbon is
attributed to its textural properties and the chemical nature of its surface, i.e. The
amount and nature of the oxygen containing functional groups.

2.2 Process Selection

The selection of the process was a tough decision to make but looking at the bright side we
choose the chemical activation process for this project. The reason in choosing the
chemical activation are: Ability to produce activated carbon with a wide range of activating
agent, leads to carbons with higher packing densities, which favors the volumetric
adsorption capacity, the required temperature is about 400-600 degree Celsius.

3
2.3 Material and Equipment used
1. Coconut shell

2. Potassium hydroxide (KOH)

3. Phenolphthalein (pH indicator)

4. Distilled water

5. Methylene blue

6. Furnace

7. Weighing machine

8. Oven

2.4 Process Description

Washing and Drying the coconut shell

The initial step we do is washing and sun drying the coconut shell for 2 days. This was
done in order to remove the impurities and evaporate all the moisture from the shell. The
dried coconut shells were broken into the small pieces.

Figure 1: Washing and drying of coconut shell

Carbonization of coconut shell

After drying the shells, the shells are put in a tin can with its lid closed for carbonization.
Small holes are made in the lid to allow the smoke to escape but prevent the wood from
catching fire. The temperature was about 400 oC for about 2 hours. Charcoal is made when
wood is subjected to high heat but denied the oxygen that would cause it to burst into flame.
The high heat causes the wood to release various organic materials, smoke and gases and
a good amount of cellulose leaving relatively pure carbon.

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 Figure 2: Burning coconut shell in closed container for carbonization

Impregnation of carbonized sample with the chemical reagent (KOH)

The carbonized sample is then washed with distilled water to remove the ash and
impregnated with KOH for the activation process. The KOH solution was concentration of
1.5 M. The mixture was fully soaked in the solution and is stirred and left to for 24 hours.
These steps allow for the chemical reagent enough time for proper distribution which is
needed for the activation process.

Figure 3: Impregnation of charcoal in KOH solution for 24 hours

Activation

The impregnated sample is then further dried in the oven. Then finally the sample is heated
in a furnace at 600 °C for an hour and then cooled off. This step is the most essential step
in which the carbon is activated. Since the chemical reagent used is potassium hydroxide,
the obtained sample is highly basic in nature and since potassium hydroxide is very soluble
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in water. The activated charcoal obtained is washed using distilled water until the ph
becomes neutral.

Figure 4: Activating in furnace at 600 oC. Figure 5: Activated carbon after drying

Gases (CO,CO2)
Raw material Furnace
Washing and Carbonization
drying

Crusher
Gases
Furnace
Activation Impregnation
(KOH)

Washing and Characterization

drying

Figure 6: Flow chart of activation process

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2.5 Result and discussion
The activated carbon that was prepared was subjected to different tests for characterization.
The adsorption capacity was determined by determining the methylene blue test and the
ash content was determined by burning 1 gram of the final product and weighing the ash
that was left behind.

Methylene blue test

The activated charcoal was firstly washed with distilled water and then 10 grams of the
activated carbon was feed into a filtering apparatus and thoroughly washed with distilled
water until no fine particles of carbon were observed in the effluent water which could
hinder the results in spectrometer. Methylene blue solution of concentration of 125 parts
per million was firstly prepared and 20 ml of the solution was fed into the filtering
apparatus and with the help of a stop watch the flow rate of the methylene blue through the
apparatus was determined. The filtered solution was then collected for analysis. The
solution of methylene blue of concentration of 125 ppm was diluted by adding twice the
volume of distilled water using a pipette to the concentration of 62.5 ppm, then to 31.25
and so on till the concentration of 3.90625 ppm. The samples were then observed in the
spectrometer at the wavelength of 665nm and the absorbance was noted.

Table 1: Absorbance of methylene blue in different concentration

Concentration(ppm) Absorbance
125 3
62.5 3
31.25 2.011
15.625 1.136
7.8125 0.702
3.90625 0.436

The sample collected after the filtration was also observed in the spectrometer and the
absorbance was found to be 1.846. The observed values were then plotted on a graph and
the concentration of the collected sample is determined by casting with the value of
absorbance observed of the final solution.

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 Figure 7: Concentration vs Absorbance
From the graph we can assume that the concentration of the final solution was 28.34
ppm.

Calculation:

The amount of methylene blue adsorbed from each solution is calculated by the given
Equation:

M(mg g-1s-1)=[(C0-C)*V] / (W*t)

Where M is the adsorption rate,

t is the time of contact of the solution with the adsorbent,

C0 (mg L-1) is the concentration of the methylene blue before filtration,

C (mg L-1) is the concentration of the methylene blue solution after filtration,

V(L) is the volume of the solution treated and M (g) is the mass of the adsorbent,

W(g) is the mass of adsorbent.

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we get,

adsorption rate=6.4*10-6 mg g-1s-1.

From the methylene blue test we get the adsorption rate= 6.4*10-6 mg g-1s-1.

Figure 8: before and after treating Figure 9: Spectrometer

with activated carbon
2.6 Deviation/Problems and Remedies adopted
During the preparation of the activated carbon we faced variety of hurdles and we adapted
accordingly to solve them. Initially the carbonization of the coconut shell was intended to
be done in a regulated temperature under the absence of oxygen but encountered some
hurdles in finding an apparatus of the proper size for the carbonization but we were able to
managed to carbonized the coconut shell in a tin can with multiple holes on them for the
gases to escape while carbonizing.

After the preparation of the activated charcoal we were faced with some challenges during
the characterization of the final product. We weren’t able to obtain iodine tincture for the
determination of the iodine number. So, we sought for elemental iodine to prepare iodine
tincture of our own, but we weren’t able to obtain the elemental iodine either. We were
only able to obtain povidone iodine solution from the laboratory but fearing that the iodine
number from the povidone iodine would not be representative of the final product due to
povidone iodine having chemical complex of water soluble polymer of the monomer
vinylpyrrolidone we decided not to conduct the iodine number test. We were neither able

9
to conduct standard BET analysis due the lack of laboratory equipment to conduct the
analysis.

So, for the characterization we decided to conduct test for the activated charcoal using the
absorbance capacity using methylene blue solution.

2.7 Future Scope

In the context of Nepal, the increase in urbanization has introduced host of problems in
later supply and wastewater management and especially in Kathmandu valley where the
population density has reached 29,166.835/Km 2 and is only expected to grow. Activated
carbon has a wide set of application and the most demand for it are only going to grow in
the future with the increase in water treatment facilities and sewage treatment applications.
Since the food and beverages manufacturing industry are also expected to grow in the
future, the demand for activated carbon are not only going to be limited to water treatment
sectors but also in manufacturing sectors.

With the recent rapid shift into renewable energy, the use of activated carbon are expected
to even grow in the development of supercapacitors for usages in energy grids. Still
research and development in supercapacitors based on activated carbon are required to
advance and are not yet suited for the commercialization.

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 CONCLUSION

Activated carbon has been produced from coconut shell charcoal using chemical activation
using Potassium Hydroxide as an activating agent. Although the adsorption capacity is still
low, there are lot room for improvement. Through the means of chemical activation,
coconut shells were converted to activated carbon. The characterization of the final product
revealed that ash content was about 8 % of final weight and the adsorption rate which was
tested with methylene blue was found to be 6.4*10-6 mg g-1s-1.

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 Gantt Chart

Table 2: Working schedule

Month February

Topic
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Washing and drying
Carbonization and
Impregnation
Activation
Test and Result

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 APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Calculations

The amount of methylene blue adsorbed from each solution is calculated by the given
Equation:

M(mg g-1s-1)=[(C0-C)*V] / (W*t)

Where M is the adsorption rate,

t is the time of contact of the solution with the adsorbent,

C0 (mg L-1) is the concentration of the methylene blue before filtration,

C(mg L-1) is the concentration of the methylene blue solution after filtration,

V(L) is the volume of the solution treated and M (g) is the mass of the adsorbent,

W(g) is the mass of adsorbent.

From our observation we have,

C0= 0.124 g L-1

C=0.028 g L-1

V= 0.02 L

t = 30 s

we get,

M= [ (C0-C)*V] / (W*t)

=[(0.124-0.028)*0.02] / (10*30)

= 6.4*10-6 mg g-1s-1.

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