PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM ORANGE PEELS

Abstract

In this study, an attempt was made to establish Green Energy from agricultural waste (orange peels). Activated carbon (AC) produced from orange peels with chemical activation agent i.e. phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) by carbonization activation process. The influences of the process, carbonization temperature and activation temperature (600 °C) for time 2 hour with H₃PO₄ of 1:1 ratio on the resulting activated carbon properties were evaluated. The AC is an excellent adsorbent and its applications are widely described in literatures. Prepared AC, are characterized by standard methods XRD, SEM, FTIR, XRF. XRD analysis is used to study the presence of highly organized crystalline structure for AC.  The surface chemical characteristics of activated carbons were determined by FT-IR method. The microstructure of the produced activated carbons was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).  XRF is used to study the different concentration of inorganic elements present in the produced AC. The result also shows presence of seven elements with their concentration. Thus present study adds one more bio-waste source as useful raw material for preparation of AC.