Production of Activated Carbon from Pine Cone and Evaluation of Its Physical, Chemical, and Adsorption Properties

In this study, the activated carbons were prepared from pine cone by chemical activation. Boehm titration and FT-IR analysis were conducted to determine the surface groups of the activated carbons while N-2 adsorption (77 K) was carried out to evaluate their pore characteristics. Zinc chloride produced activated carbon with a higher surface area and micropore volume compared to that produced by phosphoric acid activation. The amount of activating agent used strongly influenced the porous texture; considerable lossing in microporosity accompanies the increasing of activating agent. The potential application of activated carbons obtained from pine cone as adsorbents for removal of water pollutants have been checked for phenol, methylene blue, and Cr(VI). The surface functional groups were reflected in the capacity of the carbons to adsorb different species from solution. The adsorption capacity of activated carbon prepared with phosphoric acid was more than that of activated carbon prepared using zinc chloride. In conclusion, the results indicated that the activated carbon made from pine cone had remarkable mesopore surface areas and notable adsorption capacities for phenol, methylene blue, and Cr(VI).