Coconut shell based activated carbon with no

green house gas emission

watertechonline.com /articles/print/coconut-shell-based-activated-carbon-with-no-greenhouse-gas-emission
T he use of activated carbon to remove harmf ul impurities like organic contaminants f rom water
has been practiced since Roman times. Activated carbon is the generic term used to describe a
f amily of carbonaceous adsorbents with a highly amorphous f orm and extensively developed
internal pore structure.
Activated carbon is extremely porous with a very large surf ace area, which makes it an ef f ective
adsorbent material. T his large surf ace area relative to the size of the actual carbon particle
makes it easy to remove large amounts of impurities in a relatively small enclosed space.
An approximate ratio of surf ace area is one square meter per gram. T he intermolecular
attractions in the smallest pores result in adsorption. T he molecules of the contaminants in the
water are adsorbed on to the surf ace of the activated carbon by either physical or chemical
attraction. Physical attraction does not alter the adsorbate molecular structure; chemical
adsorption results in changing the adsorbate molecular structure. Some like to ref er to these two
phenomenon as physisorption (physical adsorption) and chemisorption (chemical adsorption).
T he two mechanisms by which the chemicals are adsorbed onto activated carbon are either it
dislikes water or it attracts into the activated carbon. Activated carbon adsorption proceeds
through three basic steps:
1. Substances adsorb to the exterior of the carbon surf ace.
2. Substances move into the carbon adsorption pore with the highest adsorption energy.
3. Substances adsorb to the interior graphitic platelets of the carbon.
Many natural substances are used as base materials to make activated carbon. T he most
common of these used in water purif ication are lignite, bituminous and anthracite coal and peat,
wood and coconut shell.
Dif f erent base materials and the activation process results in unique pore size and pore
distribution. T he pore size grouping in carbon is commonly described by its pore diameter.
Macropores (above 50 nanometers [nm] in diameter); mesopores (two to 50 nm diameter) and
micropores (under two nm diameter). Another way to think of and visualize pore structure is
transport and adsorption pores: transport pores bring adsorables to the adsorption pores.
Coconut shell-based activated carbons are the least dusty. Predominantly microporous, they are
well-suited f or organic chemical adsorption. Coconut shell-based carbon has the highest
hardness compared to other types of activated carbons, which makes it the ideal carbon f or
water purif ication.
In terms of base materials, coconut shell and wood are renewable resources. Coconut
plantations with millions of acres of land continue to provide all the benef its of green trees to
our environment in spite of using billions of coconut shells per year f or activation.
Activated carbon is produced f rom coconut shells in a two-step process.
T he f irst step in activation is to carbonize the shells to drive about two-thirds of the volatiles out

of the shells, creating a carbonaceous mass f ull of tiny pores.

In the second stage, this carbonized base material is activated at high temperature
(1,100C/2,012F) in steam. Activation temperature and the amount of activation time are
important to create the internal pore networks and to impart certain surf ace chemistries
(f unctional group) inside each particle. In essence, the total activation process gives carbon its
unique adsorption characteristics.
Current carbonization process
T he process of carbonization is to convert coconut shells to char or charcoal.
T he charring process (the making of charcoal) is known as pyrolysis, which is the chemical
decomposition of the shell by heating in the absence of oxygen.
During the carbonization of coconut shells, volatiles amounting to 70 percent of the mass of the
coconut shells are released into the atmosphere, yielding 30 percent of the coconut shell mass
as charcoal. T he volatiles released during the carbonization process are methane, CO2, water
vapor and a wide range of organic vapors.
Coconut shells are carbonized in an age-old process commonly known as the open-pit method. In
this process, earth is used as an insulator and to heat the shells in the absence of oxygen. T he
pit charcoaling cycle consists of three stages:
1. Pyrolosis phase. Over 12 hours long, when gases are released.
2. Pacif ication phase. When the pit is closed and the char is cooled f or 12 hours.
3. Unloading. Final step where charcoal is unloaded and f resh shells are loaded f or the next
production cycle.
T he temperature maintained in the process is vital f or complete pyrolysis. Experiments have
shown that the charcoal yield is directly proportional to the temperature in the pits.
In addition, the amount of methane released into the atmosphere is directly related to the
temperature in the pit.
By and large, pits yield 30 percent char, which means they maintain a temperature of 500C
(932F). Several experiments have been conducted to measure the amount of gases released; on
average, one million ton (MT ) of coconut shells releases about 12 to 15 Kg of methane into the
atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases emitted by current charring processes
Greenhouse gases insulate the Earth f rom the cold of space. As incoming solar radiations are
adsorbed and re-emitted back f rom the Earths surf ace as inf rared energy, greenhouse gases
(GHGs) in the atmosphere prevent a portion of this heat f rom escaping into space, instead reemitting the energy back to f urther warm the surf ace.
Human activities are amplif ying the natural greenhouse ef f ect. Our emissions of GHGs are
modif ying the Earths energy balance between incoming solar radiation and the heat released
back into space, resulting in climate change.
Climate change can alter temperature, precipitation and sea levels and may adversely impact
human and natural systems, including water resources, human health and settlements and the
biodiversity of our ecosystems.
T he apparent acceleration of the climate change model over the last 50 years and the increasing

conf idence in global climate model results adds to the compelling evidence that climate is being
ef f ected by GHG emissions f rom human activities. If this is true, we all must do what we can to
limit GHGs.
T here are several GHGs, of which water vapor, methane and carbon dioxide are both naturally
accruing and industrially generated. CO2 and methane are emitted primarily f rom f ossil f uel
combustion. Land-use changes and def orestation are signif icant sources of CO2 emission.
India, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia are the primary countries that char coconut shells f or
activation to be used in water and air purif ication. Several countries in the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region in recent years have started doing so as well.
A conservative estimate is that in the f our leading countries, about 350 MT /year of methane is
emitted to the atmosphere by the pit method of charring. T his is the equivalent of the CO2
emitted by 350,000 mid-size cars driven 20,000 miles per year. Methane is f our times more
ef f ective (and theref ore, detrimental) as a GHG compared to CO2.
Disruptive technology prevents greenhouse gas emission
In the pit method of charring coconut shells, GHGs are emitted to the atmosphere without any
control and treatment of ef f luent gases. Recently, a company has developed a novel process
working with the Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) to char the coconut shells in a reactor,
thereby capturing the GHGs and using them under controlled conditions f or the production of
thermal energy. Coconut shells contain cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, which an average
composition of C6 H10 O5 with slight variations depending on the nature of the biomass.
T heoretically, the ratio of air-to-f uel required f or the complete combustion of the shells, def ined
as stoichiometric (pertaining to or involving substances that are in the exact proportions required
f or a given reaction) combustion, is 6:1 to 6.5:1 with the end products of CO2 and H2O.
In this new process, the combustion is carried out in sub-stoichiometric conditions, with the airto-f uel ratio being 1.5:1 and 1.8:1. T he gas so obtained is called producer gas, which is
combustible. T his process is made possible in a device called a char reactor in a limited supply of
air. Two reactions take place: oxidation and reduction.
T he f irst part of the sub-stoichiometric oxidation (air with shells) leads to the loss of volatiles
f rom the shells and is exothermic. It results in peak temperatures of 800C (1,472F) and the
generation of gaseous products like carbon monoxide and hydrogen (in the same proportions)
and carbon dioxide and water vapor, which, in turn, are reduced in part to carbon monoxide and
hydrogen by the hot bed of charcoal generated during the gasif ication process. Reduction
reaction is endothermic; generating combustible products like CO, H2 and CH4 as indicated below.
C + CO2 > 2CO
C + H2O > CO + H2
C + 2H2 > CH4
Since char is generated during the gasif ication process, the entire operation is self -sustaining.
T he development of the state-of -the-art technology wherein the shells are f ed f rom the top with
a twin air entry re-burn process by the company is the critical element. T his process consists of a
f uel and ash handling system, a gasif ication system reactor and gas cooling and cleaning
systems. T he process is unique and prevents tar f ormation during pyrolysis.
Results

T he char produced in this process is of consistently good quality compared to that produced by
the open pit method. It has a consistent, high iodine value and is f ree f rom contaminants coming
f rom the pit, such as soil, silica and pebbles. T his char f orms a good base material f or the
activation process, enabling high perf ormance.
Dr. P.A. Shankar is Chief Technology Officer for Singapore-based Filtrex Holdings Group. He can be
reached via email to shankar@filtrex.co.in.
Reprinted with permission of Water Conditioning & Purif ication Magazine, March 2008. Any reuse
or republication, in part or whole, must be with the written consent of the Publisher.