Effect of potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation on the properties of activated carbon derived from bamboo charcoal
Keywords:
Bamboo charcoal, Physical and chemical activation, Potassium hydroxide, Specific surface area, Iodine adsorptionAbstract
The objective of this research was the improvement of the properties of bamboo charcoal through physical and chemical activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH). Bamboo charcoal, obtained from a carbonization process, was subsequently activated with KOH at concentrations of 0%, 10%, and 40%. The products were then analyzed for physical properties, including moisture content, volatile matter, ash, fixed carbon, iodine adsorption capacity, and specific surface area using the BET technique. From the results, it was found that the properties of the charcoal were directly influenced by the concentration of KOH. With higher level of KOH, a continuous increase in fixed carbon was observed, while the values for moisture, volatile matter, and ash content were decreased. Specifically, at a concentration of 40%, the highest fixed carbon content of 68.88%, a specific surface area of 124 m²/g, and an iodine adsorption value of 253 mg/g were obtained. This indicates that a more porous structure and improved adsorption properties were developed as the activator concentration was increased. It was shown that the properties of bamboo charcoal can be significantly improved by chemical activation with potassium hydroxide, and the potential of bamboo as a suitable biomass raw material for development into activated carbon for further application in environmental and energy material fields is highlighted.
References
ASTM International. (1984). Standard test method for chemical analysis of wood charcoal (ASTM D1762-84). ASTM International.
ASTM International. (1994). Standard test method for determination of iodine number of activated carbon (ASTM D4607-94). ASTM International.
Boroojerdi, S. H., Mohammadi, M. M., & Bahadoran, F. (2025). Facile, low-cost, and environment-friendly method for preparing peanut shell-based activated carbon: Application to dichloromethane removal. RSC Advances, 15, 27311. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA02731J
Chandra, T. C., Mirna, M. M., Sunarso, J., Sudaryanto, Y., & Ismadji, S. (2009). Activated carbon from durian shell: Preparation and characterization. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 40(4), 457-462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2009.01.002
Foo, K. Y., & Hameed, B. H. (2012). A review of recent development in the preparation of activated carbon from agricultural by-products. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 175(1-3), 502-509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.10.017
Gao, J., Wang, H., Liu, X., Zhang, Z., Fan, Z., & Suo, Y. (2025). Regulating CO₂ adsorption performance of lychee seed-based porous carbon materials: Insights into oxygen groups and pore structure. Environmental Research, 284, 122245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122245
Hameed, B. H., Din, A. T. M., & Ahmad, A. L. (2007). Adsorption of methylene blue onto bamboo-based activated carbon: Kinetics and equilibrium studies. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 141(3), 819-825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.07.049
Heidarinejad, Z., Dehghani, M. H., Heidari, M., Javedan, G., Ali, I., & Sillanpää, M. (2020). Methods for preparation and activation of activated carbon: A review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 18(2), 393-415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-019-00955-0
Ioannidou, O., & Zabaniotou, A. (2007). Agricultural residues as precursors for activated carbon production-A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11(9), 1966–2005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2006.03.013
Ipeh, M., & Hanim, M. (2020). Effects of KOH concentration and activation temperature on the textural characteristics of activated carbon produced from bamboo. Materials Today: Proceedings, 31, 211-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.01.292
Kibona, J. J., Shim, J., Byun, C. H., & Kim, C. K. (2020). Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from bamboo by chemical activation with KOH. Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology, 48(4), 487-498. https://doi.org/10.5658/WOOD.2020.48.4.487
Liu, Q. S., Zheng, T., Wang, P., & Guo, L. (2010). Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from bamboo by microwave-induced phosphoric acid activation. Industrial Crops and Products, 31(2), 233-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2009.10.011
Ngernven, Y., & Kamwilaisak, K. (2013). Activated carbon from Thailand’s biomass: A review literature. KKU Engineering Journal, 40(2), 267–283. https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/easr/article/view/19107. (In Thai)
Phothitontimongkol, T. (2017). Activated carbon from agricultural residues by chemical activation for the application of pollutant removal in water. Journal of Research Unit on Science, Technology and Environment for Learning, 8(1), 196-214. (In Thai)
Ponken, T., Phumuen, P., Phosopa, N., Tagsin, P., Ponhan, W., Phakkhawan, A., & Klangtakai, P. (2023). Activated carbon synthesized from bamboo shoots for supercapacitor application. Creative Science, 15(1), 247051. (In Thai)
Qin, C., Chen, Y., & Gao, J. (2014). Manufacture and characterization of activated carbon from marigold straw (Tagetes erecta L.) by H3PO4 chemical activation. Materials Letters, 135, 123-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2014.06.077
Rujira, J. (2013). Preparation of activated carbon from bamboo by chemical activation. Journal of Science and Technology, Ubon Ratchathani University, 15(3), 25-31. (In Thai)
Sangkaew, S., Porka, T., & Puangsin, B. (2011). Physical properties of activated carbon produced from bamboo. KKU Research Journal, 16(6), 665-673. (In Thai)
Spencer, W., Ibana, D., Singh, P., & Nikoloski, A. N. (2024a). Effect of surface area, particle size, and acid washing on the quality of activated carbon derived from lower rank coal by KOH activation. Sustainability, 16(14), 5876. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145876
Spencer, W., Senanayake, G., Altarawneh, M., Ibana, D., & Nikoloski, A. N. (2024b). Review of the effects of coal properties and activation parameters on activated carbon production and quality. Minerals Engineering, 212, 108712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108712
Thai Industrial Standards Institute. (2004). Activated carbon (TIS 900-2547). Thai Industrial Standards Institute, Ministry of Industry, Thailand. (In Thai)
Wang, L., Guo, Y., Wang, Y., Zhang, H., Liu, Z., & Zhang, J. (2017). The effect of KOH activation on the pore structure and electrochemical performance of bamboo-based activated carbons for supercapacitors. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 164(6), A1089–A1096. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0521706jes
Yang, H. M., Zhang, D. H., Chen, Y., Ran, M. J., & Gu, J. C. (2017). Study on the application of KOH to produce activated carbon to realize the utilization of distiller’s grains. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 69(1), 012051. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/69/1/012051
Youme, P. (2015). Preparation of activated carbons with high surface area from wood charcoal powder by dry chemical activation. KKU Science Journal, 43(4), 788-798. (In Thai)
Zhang, Y., Ma, C., Liu, F., Xu, Y., & Chen, W. (2022). A review on the preparation of bamboo-based activated carbon. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 7(3), 163-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2022.02.005
Zhao, B., Zhang, J., Wang, C., Li, F., & Li, Y. (2021). A review of preparation of biomass-based activated carbon and their application in antibiotic-contaminated water treatment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(5), 106095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.106095
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Agriculture & Technology RMUTI Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
เนื้อหาและข้อมูลในบทความที่ลงตีพิมพ์ในวารสารทดสอบระบบ ThaiJo2 ถือเป็นข้อคิดเห็นและความรับผิดชอบของผู้เขียนบทความโดยตรงซึ่งกองบรรณาธิการวารสาร ไม่จำเป็นต้องเห็นด้วย หรือร่วมรับผิดชอบใดๆ
บทความ ข้อมูล เนื่อหา รูปภาพ ฯลฯ ที่ได้รับการดีพิมพ์ในวารสารทดสอบระบบ ThaiJo2 ถือเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสารทดสอบระบบ ThaiJo2 หากบุคคลหรือหน่วยงานใดต้องการนำทั้งหมดหรือส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดไปเผยแพร่หรือเพื่อกระทำการใดๆ จะต้องได้รับอนุญาตเป็นลายลักอักษรณ์จากวารสารทดสอบระบบ ThaiJo2 ก่อนเท่านั้น
