Effect of activation methods on the surface properties of carbonized biomass derived from fluted pumpkin stem (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F) waste

Abstract

The effect of chemical activation methods on some surface properties of carbonized biomass produced from fluted pumpkin waste was investigated using three activating reagents: H₃PO₄, ZnCl₂ and H₂O₂. The surface properties studied were moisture content, sodium sorption capacity and iodine number. The surface properties of activated carbon were compared with that of the pure carbonized sample. The results obtained shows that the sample activated with H₃PO₄ (AM) with a sodium sorption capacity of 1.52 mmol/g was the most effective for the adsorption of sodium and other cations from solution, while the sample activated with ZnCl₂ (BM) with sodium sorption capacity of 1.07 mmol/g has the least affinity for sodium. The iodine number determination also shows that the sample activated with H₂O₂ (NM) has the highest porosity with an iodine number of 60.3 mg/g I₂. This implies that chemically activated carbon produced from fluted pumpkin waste could be utilized as low-cost, economic and environment friendly biosorbents for the removal and recovery of metals and other cations in solution.

Keywords: Activated carbon, activation methods, surface property, fluted pumpkin.