Novel Low-Cost Activated Carbon from Coconut Shell and Its Adsorptive Characteristics for Carbon Dioxide

The objective of this research is to synthesize the microporous activated carbon and test its
applicability for CO2 gas capture. In this study, coconut shell-based and commercial activated carbon
is used as the solid adsorbent. Based on the findings, it shows that the gas adsorption capacity is
correlated to the total surface area of the materials. In addition, reduction in the adsorption capacity
with respect to temperature proves that the physisorption process is dominant. Higher carbon dioxide
(CO2) adsorption capacity in comparison to nitrogen (N2) capacity contributes to higher CO2/N2
selectivity, and confirms its applicability in the post-combustion process. Utilization of abundance
agricultural wastes and one-step physical activation process is attractive as it promotes a cleaner
pathway for activated carbon production, and simultaneously, reduces the total operating cost.