Morphological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical characteristics of Sterculia Foetida (Java-olive) fiber activated carbon for sustainable applications in biodegradable materials

In this research paper, activated carbon and biochar were synthesized from Sterculia foetida fibers through controlled pyrolysis and chemical activation , using activating agent such as H₃PO₄ under different temperatures and impregnation ratios. The activation process resulted in the development of a hierarchical pore structure consisting of micro-and mesopores, which significantly enhanced the specific surface area and adsorption characteristics of the carbon materials. A comprehensive physicochemical characterization of the prepared materials was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Differential thermogravimetric analysis (DGA ) to evaluate structural, morphological, elemental, and thermal properties. The XRD results confirmed the formation of partially graphitized amorphous carbon structures, while FTIR analysis indicated the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups that enhance adsorption behavior. SEM analysis revealed a highly porous surface morphology formed during carbonization and activation, and EDS confirmed the dominant presence of carbon with minor heteroatoms such as oxygen and nitrogen The novelty of this work lies in the valorization of Sterculia foetida fiber biomass into multifunctional carbon materials , integrating biochar and activated carbon synthesis with advanced characterization to evaluate their structural evolution and adsorption potential. Additionally, the study explores the structure–property relationship between activation conditions and pore development , which is critical for optimizing the performance of biomass-derived carbons. Such materials show promising applications in water purification, pollutant adsorption, energy storage devices, and composite reinforcement materials. Recent research also indicates that carbon materials derived from Sterculia foetida can serve as effective electrodes in supercapacitors and as adsorbents for dye removal in wastewater treatment. • Activated carbon with higher surface area (2594 m 2 /g) and total pore volume (1.79 cm 3 g −1 ), the micropore volume (1.96 cm 3 g −1 ) were obtained at a higher temperature of 600 °C. • The FTIR analysis showed that the pyrolysis process significantly removes the polar and acidic functional groups from activated carbon with increasing pyrolysis temperature. • Thermo gravimetric curves of raw carbon and activated carbon of both sterculie –foeitede fiber shell particles shows that initial decrease in weight loss completed below 150 °C is due to the moisture loss from the material. • It is observed that Sterculie –foeitede, fiber shell particulates composite gives highest strength, modulus and hardness compared with other activated and non- activated particulates composite. • In SEM analysis it is clearly shown the particle size of the fiber filler and the average particle size of the raw sterculie –foeitede fiber shell are 2.5 μm and the activated carbon is 97 nano meters.