Comparative Analysis of FTIR in Local Activated Carbons for Suitability in the Treatment of Kula Water, Akuku Toru LGA, Rivers State, Nigeria

The study examined the comparative analysis of “Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy” (FTIR) in local activated carbons for suitability in the treatment of Kula Water, Akuku Toru LGA, Rivers State, Nigeria. The locally produced Bamboo, Coconut Shell and Palm Kernel were pyrolysed, activated and sized. FTIR was used to identify the presence of functional groups by detecting the characteristics vibrations of molecular bonds in each of the activated carbons. Descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis. Findings showed that the FTIR spectra of the foreign and bamboo activated carbons; coconut shell activated carbons and palm kernel activated carbons exhibited certain and common functional groups. Findings showed that both FAC and BAC exhibited common functional groups such as hydroxyl, alkanes, and aromatic rings. However, the FAC displays a strong carbonyl peak, indicating the presence of carboxylic acids, ketones, or aldehydes while BAC exhibits unique peaks at 800 cm−1 and 500 cm−1, characteristics of C-C stretching in aromatic rings. FAC and CSAC exhibited common functional groups such as hydroxyl (O-H stretching at ~3400 cm−1), alkanes (C-H stretching at ~2900 cm−1 and ~2850 cm−1), and aromatic rings. Similarly, both CSAC and FAC exhibit a range of similar functional groups, including a broad and strong peak around 3400 cm−1, indicating the presence of hydroxyl groups. The difference between FAC and CSAC is found in Carbonyl group. FAC displays a strong peak at 1711.61 cm−1, indicating the presence of carbonyl groups (C=O stretching) from functional groups such as carboxylic acids, ketones, or aldehydes, while CSAC showed a medium intensity peak in this region, PKSAC exhibits medium-intensity peaks at C-H bending and C-O stretching, which are consistent with FAC peaks. PKSAC exhibits a similar functional profile to FAC, indicating its suitability for water treatment. However, slight differences in peak intensities may affect their adsorption efficiency and specificity. The study recommended that additional research should be conducted to optimize the production process and explore other locally available biomass materials.