A simple method for the determination of surface area and activity of activated carbon

Abstract

The standard tests on adsorption of color, odor, taste, and nonfilterable turbidity (NFT) by different samples of activated charcoal (AC) were conducted. The surface area of each AC sample was determined using the acetic acid adsorption method. The results were then estimated on a methylene blue value (MBV) table developed from the observed number of mils of 0.01M methylene blue (MB) adsorbed by 1 g of AC. The MBV table gave expected capacities and surface areas of different samples of AC that were not significantly different from the values observed by direct analysis at 5% significance level. The MBV test presents a simple field test for evaluating the quality of AC during cottage level production, especially in a developing economy where access to laboratory facilities is either limited or nonexistent.

Keywords:

• activated charcoal
• adsorptive capacity
• interstitial surface area
• methylene blue value (MBV)
• palm kernel shells (PKS)
• carbon activity

Acknowledgments

The funding of this research by the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Research Council is hereby acknowledged, as is the mentoring role of Prof. M.O. Ogedengbe of the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.