Effect of potassium hydroxide on wet and dry activation process for the production of porous activated carbon from wheat straw biomass

The activated carbon produced from agricultural biomass has established itself as a superior alternative to conventional carbons. Also, an alternative to reducing the open burning of agricultural crop residues. Hence, the study was conducted to produce carbon from wheat straw biomass at 500, 600, and 700℃, and to produce activated carbon through dry and wet chemical activation at 750℃ for 1 h, with the activated carbon products compared for better characteristic outputs. The yield and mass loss of the activated carbon for both wet and dry activation showed the same trend: a decrease in yield and an increase in mass loss percentage. The results from the instrumental analysis of biomass, carbon, and activated carbon reveal changes in functional groups during activation, graphitic and physical surface defects, and carbon composition. The samples showed surface areas of 874.51, 1093.46, and 909.67 m2/g for dry activation, followed by 262.24, 627.98, and 509.63 m2/g for wet activation, for the carbon materials derived at pyrolysis temperatures of 500, 600, and 700℃. The same trend of increased surface area from 500 to 600 ℃ and decreased surface area from 600 to 700 ℃ is due to the transformation of micropores into mesopores at higher temperatures.