Activated carbon can be produced from carboneous materials. The aims of
this study are to synthesis and characterize activated carbon from Cocos nucifera L.
(coconut) shell and sugarcane bagasse by carbonization and activation process. The
samples were carbonized and activated at 300°C in a furnace. As the concentration of
activating agent increased, the percentage of weight loss also increased due to more
volatiles in samples that were released. Addition of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and
Potassium hydroxide (KOH) gave the activated carbon more porous structure. The
result indicated that the activated carbon derived from coconut shell has higher
carbon content compared to sugarcane bagasse. Besides, the elements that contained
in the samples were analysed using X-ray Fluorescent (XRF) and surface chemical
was characterized using Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR). It was concluded
that production of activation activated carbon from coconut shell and sugarcane
bagasse can be used in a lot of applications like dye absorbent and waste water
treatment