Synthesis and Application of Activated Carbon from Oil Palm Fronds Biomass for One-Step Glycerol Purification
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Abstract
This study aims to synthesize and apply oil palm frond activated carbon (OPFAC) as an adsorbent for one-step processing of crude glycerol. OPFAC was prepared through chemical activation using 10% of Na2CO3 followed by carbonization at 400°C. Several techniques, including SEM-EDX, FTIR, and SAA, were performed to evaluate its morphology, elemental composition, functional groups, and pore characteristics. In crude glycerol purification, the OPFAC dosage was varied at 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% (w/w) relative to glycerol mass to determine its effect on purification performance. The initial crude glycerol purity of 50.64% increased progressively with increasing OPFAC dosage, reaching a maximum of 96.66% at 7%, which met SNI 06-1564-1995, BS 2621:1979, and classified as USP Degree II grade. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of methylene groups and aromatic C–H vibrations in OPFAC. Surface area analysis indicated a micropore surface area of 44.41 m2/g and a micropore volume of 0.0132 cc/g. The external mass-transfer coefficient (kf) decreased from 1.32×10-4 to 3.78×10-5 cm/min with increasing adsorbent mass, consistent with film-diffusion theory and supported by previous studies. Overall, the results demonstrate that OPFAC is a promising, low-cost, and sustainable adsorbent capable of achieving high-purity glycerol through a simplified one-step process.
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