Pore Characteristics and Adsorption Properties of Activated Carbon Produced from Ampelodismos Mauritanicus Stems

Abstract

In this paper, the synthesis and characterization of Ampelodesmos mauritanicus stems activated carbon (AMSAC) were studied. The produced activated carbon by phosphoric acid activation followed carbonisation was characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Sorption potential of AMSAC for the removal of methylene bleu from water was investigated. The experimental data found that AMSAC had high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 1293 m2/g and abundant pores with specific volume of 1.23 m3/g. FTIR analysis reveals various functional groups on the surface of AMSAC which can be play an important role for the adsorption process. Langmuir isotherm model fitted well the equilibrium data for the methylene bleu comparing to the Freundlich isotherm model; the monolayer sorption capacity of AMSAC was found to be 411.8 mg/g at 25 °C