Steam activated carbon production from coconut shell charcoal using open top gasifier as heat source

Abstract

Coconut shell (Cocus Nusifera), an agricultural waste converted into activated carbon in integrated carbonization cum activation unit at steam flow rate of 0.75 kg/h and temperature of around 550 ºC. The steam activation was conducted for 1 h and 2 h residence times. The waste heat of carbonization process was utilized for steam generation and activation process. The mass conversion efficiency of carbonization was found to be 16.49% and 12.60% and the yield of steam activation process was 88% and 80% for 1 h and 2 h residence time respectively. Adsorption properties showed that better quality of 2 h residence activated carbon with iodine number as 546 mg/g and methylene number of 318 mg/g and iodine number as 485 mg/g and methylene number of 288 mg/g for 1 h residence time activated carbon.