Optimization of Pyrolysis of Kapok Fruit Bark (Ceiba Pentandra) for the Production of Activated Carbon for Water Treatment

A basic human necessity, clean water is becoming more and more elusive as environmental contamination rises. Along with household and industrial waste, overuse of groundwater, particularly in Indonesian cities, results in seawater intrusion and lowers the quality of clean water. The purpose of this study is to determine how temperature and activators of carbon derived from kapok fruit bark affect the water's pH and its ability to adsorb total soluble solids (TDS). The results of the investigation show that, in accordance with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI), the moisture content of activated carbon by KOH at temperatures of 550°C, 600°C, and 650°C was 2.364%, 1.732%, and 0.593%, while it was 7.756%, 3.723%, and 0.714% for activated carbon by H₃PO₄ out of the 15% SNI limit. The ash content was 2.817%, 3.345%, and 4.009% (activator KOH), while 2.412%, 2.654%, and 2.737% (activator H₃PO₄) of the 10% SNI requirement, respectively. According to SEM-EDS data, kapok fruit bark provides 83.79% of the carbon in activated carbon by KOH, which has numerous tiny pores, and 87.91% in activated carbon by H₃PO₄, which is dominated by mesopores and macropores. One gram of activated carbon by KOH has the potential to be an adsorbent since it can lower total soluble solids (TDS) in water by about 54 parts per million (ppm) in an hour, and 34 ppm by activated carbon by H₃PO₄.. The average pH will rise by ±4.47 pH units for every 1 mg of activated carbon by KOH added but lower the pH by ±0.64 pH units by activated carbon by H₃PO₄.. Because activated carbon has many holes and a high surface area, it can adsorb ions or other dissolved chemicals in water, which lowers TDS. The R² values of 0.9355 and 0.8664 indicate a forceful correlation between activated carbon mass and TDS reduction. This study demonstrates how effective activated carbon with KOH and H₃PO₄ made from kapok fruit bark is as a safe and environmentally friendly material for cleaning the TDS and changing the pH in water, which helps promote sustainable water management in line with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.