MELALEUCA CAJUPUTI LEAVES AS A RAW MATERIAL FOR PREPARATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON

In this study, activated carbon was prepared from Melaleuca cajuputi leaves. The activation included both physical and chemical processes, with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) as a dehydrating agent, followed by thermal treatment at 500°C for 45 minutes. The activated carbon obtained was characterised by surface area (BET), FESEM (images), elemental analysis (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The sample subjected to carbonisation without chemical activation showed a low surface area of 24 m2/g at 500°C. The treatment of samples with chemicals showed improvements in surface area and other characteristics. Chemical activation using phosphoric acid seemed to be a very efficient method and with surface area improvements reaching as high as 127 m2/g. Therefore, M. cajuputi leaves can be used to produce activated carbon with good surface properties and used in the treatment of environmental waste due to its sustainability.