Production of activated biochar from palm kernel shell for methylene blue removal

Sulaiman, Sarina and Faris, Muhammad Firas (2026) Production of activated biochar from palm kernel shell for methylene blue removal. Journal of Renewable Materials, 14 (1). pp. 1-13. ISSN 2164-6325

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Abstract

In this study, Palm kernel shell (PKS) is utilized as a raw material to produce activated biochar as adsorbent for dye removal from wastewater, specifically methylene blue (MB) dye, by utilizing a simplified and cost-effective approach. Production of activated biochar was carried out using both a furnace and a domestic microwave oven without an inert atmosphere. Three samples of palm kernel shell (PKS) based activated biochar labeled as samples A, B and C were carbonized inside the furnace at 800°C for 1 h and then activated using the microwave-heating technique with varying heating times (0, 5, 10, and 15 min). The heating was conducted in the absence of an inert gas. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) highlighted a significant Si-O stretching vibration between 1040.5 to 692.7 cm−1, indicating the presence of key components (Silica and Alumina) in all PKS-based activated biochar samples. For wastewater treatment, activated biochar samples were tested against a 20 mg/L Methylene Blue (MB) solution, and the MB percentage removal was calculated for each run using a standard curve. Central Composite Design (CCD) experiments were conducted for optimization, with activated biochar Sample C exhibiting the highest adsorption capacity at 88.14% MB removal under specific conditions. ANOVA analysis confirmed the significance of the quadratic model, with a p-value of 0.0222 and R2 = 0.9438. In conclusion, the results demonstrated the efficiency of PKS-based activated biochar as an adsorbent for MB removal in comparison to other commercial adsorbents

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Palm kernel shell, biochar, methylene blue dye, microwave heating, adsorption
Subjects:	T Technology > TP Chemical technology > TP155 Chemical engineering
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Engineering > Department of Biotechnology Engineering
Depositing User:	Dr Sarina Sulaiman
Date Deposited:	30 Apr 2026 15:05
Last Modified:	30 Apr 2026 15:05
Queue Number:	2026-04-Q3084
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/128672

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