A process for the preparation of activated carbon from botanical sources.

Abstract

A process for the prepn. of activated carbon from botanical sources comprising the steps of drying parts of a plant selected from Calotopis Gigantea or Borassus Flabellifera; placing the dried parts in a muffle furnace; raising the temp. of the said furnace up to 300  C and keeping the heated material in the furnace at the said temp. for 30 min during which period partial removal of volatile matter takes place; the coal so obtained being ground and sieved through 200 mesh to get fine particles of carbon material: mixing the said carbon material with activating agent; placing the resulting mixt. in a tubular furnace and subjecting the same to thermo chem. activation at 800  C for 8 h in inert N2 atm; reducing the temp. of the furnace to room temp., removing the heated mass from the furnace and subjecting the same to acid treatment with cone. HCI for 1 h with the wt./wt.% ratio of carbon and HCI being 1:5; filtering the resultant and washing with excess water; and drying the activated carbon thus obtained in an air oven.