Palm kernel shell (PKS) was used as the precursor for the preparation of activated carbon and optimized to remove the pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) included Atenolol (ATE), Acebutolol (ACE) and Carbamazepine (CBM) which are the major contaminants in the waterbody.

The PKS was first sieved into different particle sizes (≤0.15 mm, 0.5-0.71 mm and 1-1.4 mm) and activated by carbon dioxide at 700 to 900°C for 1 hour or 1.5 hours. BET surface area analysis shown that the highest surface area of 711.52m² · g^-1m and micro-porosity of 42% could be obtained by activating powder size PKS at 900°C for 15 hours with carbon dioxide at 50ml · min^-1.

Kinetic study has shown that rapid adsorption of PhACs started in the first 90 minutes and reached equilibrium at the 4^th hour. The...[ Read more ]

Palm kernel shell (PKS) was used as the precursor for the preparation of activated carbon and optimized to remove the pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) included Atenolol (ATE), Acebutolol (ACE) and Carbamazepine (CBM) which are the major contaminants in the waterbody.

The PKS was first sieved into different particle sizes (≤0.15 mm, 0.5-0.71 mm and 1-1.4 mm) and activated by carbon dioxide at 700 to 900°C for 1 hour or 1.5 hours. BET surface area analysis shown that the highest surface area of 711.52m² · g^-1m and micro-porosity of 42% could be obtained by activating powder size PKS at 900°C for 15 hours with carbon dioxide at 50ml · min^-1.

Kinetic study has shown that rapid adsorption of PhACs started in the first 90 minutes and reached equilibrium at the 4^th hour. The rate of adsorption was directly proportion to the surface area of the adsorbent while the influence of the pore size distributions was minor. Film diffusion was the rate-limiting step in the adsorption process as demonstrated by the Boyd kinetic model. The kinetic experimental data was best fitted with Ritchie-second-order model and confirmed by diffusion-chemisorption model implying that chemisorption occurred between the adsorbate and adsorbent.

The isotherm adsorption showed that the maximum rate of adsorption of ATE, ACE and CBM were 0.69, 0.67 and 0.72 mmole · g ^-1(equivalent to 183.7 mg· g ^-1, 225.4mg · g ^-1 and 170.1mg · g ^-1respectively) and the experimental data fitted better to the Sips and Redlich-Peterson isotherm followed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models indicated the PhACs were adsorbed on the monolayer adsorbent surface. The rate of PhACs adsorption could be explained by both electrostatic and non-electrostatic interaction and higher adsorption rate could be obtained in alkali environment while the CBM adsorption was independent of pH change. The results showed that PKS is possible for the aqueous adsorption of the PhACs.