Application of kepok banana peel activated carbon prepared by conventional and microwave heating for malachite green adsorption

Abstract

Kepok banana peel as an agricultural waste has been used as a precursor in the production of activated carbon with NaOH activation. In this sense, the effect of heating technique (e.g. conventional and microwave heating) to the character and adsorption performance of the activated carbon was investigated. The obtained activated carbon was characterized by pore structural analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM), then it used to remove malachite green from aqueous solution. It was found that microwave assisted NaOH activated carbon possessed high surface area and uniform pore structure. The surface area of activated carbons produced by conventional and microwave heating were 10.95 and 187.66 m2/g, respectively. The optimum malachite green adsorption occurred at pH 10 and the equilibrium reached after 180 min. The adsorption behavior was well described by the Freundlich isotherm model.