SURFACE STRUCTURE AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COCONUT SHELL CHARCOAL USING NIRA AREN (Arenga pinnata) ACID ACTIVATION

Coconut shell is a waste of copra manufactured in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Pyrolysis coconut shell charcoal is potentially a raw material for bio-adsorbent for health. Bio-adsorbent activated carbon is produced from coconut shells using an acetic acid activator from palm sap (Arenga pinnata). Coconut shell pyrolysis was carried out at a temperature of 400 - 600oC and an acetic acid activator was obtained by fermenting the palm for six months. The results of the FT-IR analysis of coconut shell charcoal activated with CH3COOH 3 M and CH3COOH fermented palm sap showed a decrease or removal of impurity functional groups and an increase in coconut shell charcoal functional groups. The results of SEM-EDS analysis of coconut shell charcoal with CH3COOH activator fermentedpalm sap has a larger average pore diameter of 7.82 μm. The elemental content of carbon C is 87.88 % by mass. Thus, coconut shell charcoal activated using CH3COOH resulting from palm sap fermentation has potential as an adsorbent for industrial liquid waste.