STUDY OF THE SPECIFICATIONS OF CARBON PREPARED FROM CARBONIZATION OF FIG LEAVES USING A STRONG BASE
Keywords:
Activated carbon, fig leaves, potassium hydroxide, chemical activation, adsorption, agricultural wasteAbstract
This study investigates the preparation and physicochemical characteristics of activated carbon derived from fig leaves through carbonization and chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH). Fig leaves were selected as a low-cost lignocellulosic precursor, and the effect of different fig-leaf-to-KOH ratios (1:0.5, 1:1, 1:1.5, and 1:2) on the properties of the resulting activated carbon was evaluated. The prepared samples were characterized using iodine number, methylene blue adsorption, bulk density, moisture content, ash content, and pH measurements. Increasing the KOH ratio generally enhanced pore development and adsorption performance while reducing bulk density. The sample prepared at a 1:2 fig-leaf-to-KOH ratio showed the best overall performance, with an iodine number of 1156.1 mg/g and methylene blue adsorption of 224.7 mg/g, together with low density and near-neutral pH. These findings demonstrate that fig leaves can serve as a promising agricultural-waste precursor for producing activated carbon with useful adsorption characteristics. The approach provides a potential pathway for converting biomass waste into a value-added material for environmental and industrial applications.
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