Comparative Analysis of Activated Carbon Derived from Coconut Shell and Oil Palm Biomass at Various Carbonization Temperatures

Abstract

This study compared the optimal conditions for producing activated carbon from coconut shell and oil palm biomass via chemical activation using 70% H₂SO₄. Carbonization was conducted at 400, 500, and 600 °C for 2 h. At 600 °C, partial combustion occurred in both precursors, leading to ash formation, whereas no such effects were observed at 400 °C and 500 °C. Therefore, activated carbons obtained at 400 °C and 500 °C were further characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis. FTIR spectra of both coconut shell and palm-derived samples showed broad O–H stretching bands around 3440–3450 cm^-1 and peaks at 1610–1630 cm^-1 corresponding to C=O and C=C stretching vibrations. Notably, the palm-based sample carbonized at 500 °C displayed slight variations in its FTIR spectra compared with the other three conditions. Consistently, SEM images revealed that the P500 sample exhibited distinct surface morphologies compared with the others. BET analysis further indicated that the specific surface areas of C400, C500, P400, and P500 were 342.82, 322.67, 196.93, and 208.13 m²/g, respectively, demonstrating that coconut shell–derived carbons developed substantially higher surface areas than palm-based carbons. The high surface areas and well-developed porosity of these activated carbons suggest their suitability for applications in wastewater treatment, heavy metal and organic pollutant adsorption, and potential use as adsorbents in catalysis or separation processes.