Combustion and pyrolysis of activated carbon fibre from oil palm empty fruit bunch fibre assisted through chemical activation with acid treatment

Published Date
November 2014, Vol.110:408–418, doi:10.1016/j.jaap.2014.10.010

Author 

Ting Lee ^a,

Zuhana Ahmad Zubir ^b,

Farinaa Md Jamil ^b,

Akihiko Matsumoto ^c,

Fei-Yee Yeoh ^a,

aSchool of Materials & Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Transkrian Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia

• bAdvanced Material Research Centre (AMREC), SIRIM Berhad, Lot 34, Jalan Hi-Tech 2/3, Kulim Hi-Tech Park, 09000 Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia
• cDepartment of Environmental and Life Sciences, Toyohashi University of Technology, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi 441-8580, Japan

Received 24 July 2014. Accepted 20 October 2014. Available online 28 October 2014. 

Highlights 

• EFB fibre is an excellent agricultural waste to be converted into ACF.
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  Oxidative (combustion) and non-oxidative pyrolysis were studied in AC production.
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  Pyrolysis of acid treated fibre was formed to be a better carbonisation condition.
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  The properties of ACF could be altered by the effect and sequence of acid treatment.

Abstract 

Thermochemical reactions viz. combustion and pyrolysis are important processes in the conversion of biomass from agricultural wastes into functional materials activated carbon fibre (ACF). Acid treatment during combustion and pyrolysis leaves a major impact which affects quality and properties of the resulting ACF such as pore size control and surface area enlargement. In this study, carbonisation and activation of empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibre into ACF was carried out using acid treatment assisted combustion and pyrolysis followed by CO₂ gas flow. The effects of acid treatment on the physicochemical properties and pore characteristics was studied by applying sulphuric acid and switching the sequence of acid treatment before and after combustion and pyrolysis. Intercalation of sulphuric acid and exfoliation reactions on the acid-treated EFB fibre resulted in a higher thermal degradation rate compared to raw EFB fibre without acid treatment. Higher BET surface area and total pore volume were obtained for ACF samples treated with acid. The higher pore volume is due to the intercalated sulphuric compound which facilitated the removal of volatile matter and generated more pores for adsorption. However, severe acid oxidation could also lead to pore blocking with excess oxygen complexes and creation of limited porosity. The results show that properties of the ACF can be affected by the sequence of the acid treatment depending on the thermochemical process applied.

Keywords

Combustion

Pyrolysis

Acid treatment

Activated carbon fibre

Empty fruit bunch fibre

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