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Development of Furnace for Producing

Activated Carbon

Conference Paper · December 2010

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 International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Energy Engineering 2010
23-24 December, 2010, Khulna, BANGLADESH

MIE10-102
Development of Furnace for Producing Activated Carbon
Md. Mahmudur Rahman 1,*, Quazi Hamidul Bari 1
1
Department of Civil Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna-9203, BANGLADESH

ABSTRACT
Activated carbon is widely used for the treatment of water and wastewater. This is an amorphous form of carbon with a
large surface area. Activated carbon mainly produced in laboratory using muffle furnace. This method is expensive for
commercial production. A low cost furnace with ease in operation and maintenance was fabricated. This furnace is able to
gain enough temperature for production of activated carbon. Three types of furnace were prepared. The types were designed
according to the amount of input materials. Sufficient amount of activated carbon were produced in Type A and B furnaces.
The productions of activated carbon from different furnaces were found to be 48%, 76% and 35% of total input materials
respectively. The production cost of activated carbon produced in Type A, B and C furnaces were about 500/=, 40/=, 35/=
taka per kg. The adsorption capacity of produced activated carbon was larger than commercially available activated carbon.

Keywords: Rice husk, activated carbon, furnace.

1. Introduction to prepare activated carbon at a time. They were

The application of activated carbon covers a wide
spectrum of systems such as air purification, water and
wastewater treatments, and also used in food, beverage,
pharmaceutical and chemical industries [1, 2]. Almost
any carbonaceous material of animal, vegetable or
mineral origin can be converted into activated carbon if
properly treated. Activation is a physical change
through which the surface of carbon is tremendously
increased by the removal of hydrocarbon. The
properties of finished material are governed not only by
the raw material but also the method of activation used.
Carbon precursors attain commercially viable surface
areas almost always through physical or chemical
activation.
The activated carbon is not easily and economically
available because of its expensive cost. In the laboratory
most of the time activated carbon was produced in
muffle furnace. For both chemical and physical
activation processes, muffle furnace [3, 4, 5] and
horizontal/vertical tube furnace [6] were used. These are
expensive and its operating cost is also high. The
furnace used for commercial production is also
expensive. For this reason the production cost of the
activated carbon is higher. If a low cost furnace will
develop for activated carbon production, then the cost of
activated carbon may be reduced in considerable limits.
designated as Type A, Type B and Type C.
Type A was a small furnace made of 1.25 mm MS steel
sheet. Two MS steel sheet were bent in a circular form
and connected with each other. The void spaces
between these sheets were filled with fire clay which
was worked as an insulator. The furnace had diameter of
10.5 inch and height of 13 inch with two 2.5”X 4”
openings at the bottom side. Between these two
openings grit was placed. The fuel was placed on the
grit through the 1st opening and through the 2nd opening
the ash was taken out. There was another small hole of
0.5” diameter at the top side of the furnace. This was
used to take out the smoke from furnace. The top of the
furnace was open. This opening was closed in the time
of operation with a separate cover. A small pot with 4”
in diameter and 5” in height was placed in the furnace.
This pot had two openings, one at the bottom and other
at the top. The bottom opening was closed with a wire
net. The top opening was joined with the furnace top
side opening.

Hence, in this study, a low cost furnace were developed

using locally available materials.

2. Fabrication of Furnace

Three types of furnace were prepared. The types were

varied in the capacity of input materials that can be used
Figure 1: Type A furnace

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +88-01911956931

E-mail address: rushalov@yahoo.com

Type B was a medium furnace made of 1.00 mm MS
steel sheet. Two MS steel sheet were bent in a circular
form and connected with each other. The void spaces
between these sheets were filled with clay and chalk
powder mixer which was worked as an insulator. The
outer side of the furnace was coiled with asbestos rope.
The furnace had diameter of 14 inch and height of 20
inch with two 3”X 6” openings at the bottom side.
Between these two openings grit was placed. The fuel
was placed on the grit through the 1st opening and
through the 2nd opening the ash was taken out. There
was another small hole of 2” diameter at the top side of
the furnace. This was used to take out the smoke from
furnace. The top of the furnace was open. This opening
was closed in the time of operation with a separate
cover. A container with 10” in diameter and 10” in
height was placed in the furnace. This container was
prepared with 1.00 mm MS steel sheet. This container
had two openings, one at the bottom and other at the
top. The bottom opening dimension was 2”X3”. This
opening was closed with a wire net. The top opening
was joined with the furnace top side opening. Inside the
container two tray of wire net was placed on which raw
material was placed.
Figure 2: Type B furnace
Type C was a large furnace made of 1.75 mm tick
modified drum. A mixer of clay and rice husk was paint
on the inner side of the drum. This mixer was used as an
insulator. The furnace had diameter of 23 inch and
height of 28 inch with two 4”X 6” openings at the
bottom side. Between these two openings grit was
placed. The fuel was placed on the grit through the 1 st
opening and through the 2nd opening the ash was taken
out. There was another small hole of 2” diameter at the
top side of the furnace. This was used to take out the
smoke from furnace. The top of the furnace was open.
This opening was closed in the time of operation with a
separate cover made of 1.00 mm MS steel. A small
drum with 16” in diameter and 16” in height was placed
in the furnace. This drum had two openings, one at the
bottom and other at the top. The bottom opening was
closed with a wire net. The top opening was joined with
the furnace top side opening.
Figure 3: Type C furnace
3. Materials and methods
Rice husk collected from local market was used as raw
material and physical activation process was used for
producing activated carbon. The fire wood was used as
a fuel.
4. Production of Activated Carbon
In type A furnace (Figure 1), first the small pot was
filled with raw material. The capacity of the pot was
around 0.250 kg. Then the top of the pot was closed and
sealed with clay. Next the pot was placed in the furnace.
Then the cover of the furnace was closed and also
sealed with clay. The fuel was placed on the grit and
start burning. When the process going on the smoke
produced in the furnace was enter the pot through the
bottom side opening and passes out through the top side
opening which was connected with furnace vent line.
This heated air and the produced heat was used for
preparing activated carbon. A digital thermometer was
placed inside the pot to record the inside temperature.
The furnace was fueled until the furnace temperature
reached above 500o C and maintained the furnace
temperature above 500o C. The smoke came out from
the furnace was also observed. Initially the smoke color
was black. When the smoke color turned into white, all
the openings were sealed with clay. The outlet
temperature was observed as 82o C when white smoke
came out. Then the sealed furnace kept for 24 hours and
opened to bring out the prepared activated carbon.
In type B furnace (Figure 2), first the container bottom
was filled with raw material and than placed one tray.
Again raw material was placed on the tray and then
other tray was placed. There is a 1 inch gap between
bottom layer of the material and the tray. The raw
materials in the bottom layer were placed in dense
condition and on the tray raw material was placed in
loose condition. The capacity of container was around
3.5 kg. After filling the container with raw material, the
top of the container was closed and sealed with clay.
Next the container was placed in the furnace. Then the
MIE10-102- 2
cover of the furnace was closed and also sealed with in the Type A furnace was found 128 gm which was
clay. The fuel was placed on the grit and start burning. 57% of the input raw material.
When the process going on the smoke produced in the
furnace was enter the pot through the bottom side 5.2 Characteristics of prepared activated carbon
opening and passes out through the top side opening
which was connected with furnace vent line. This The ash content of prepared activated carbon in Type A,
heated air and the produced heat was used for preparing Type B and Type C were 56%, 42% and 58%
activated carbon. The smoke came out from the furnace respectively. Where as the ash content of chemically
was also observed. Initially the smoke color was black. activated carbon prepared in Type A furnace was 43%.
The furnace was fueled until the black smoke turned
into white smoke. When the smoke color turn into 5.3 Adsorption studies
white, all the openings were sealed with clay. The outlet
temperature was observed as 86o C when white smoke The adsorption studies were carried out to study the
came out. Then the sealed furnace kept for 24 hours and adsorption isotherm. In this experiment, Tea water,
opened to bring out the prepared activated carbon. solutions were prepared. 100 mL solution was placed in
250 mL conical flask with adsorbent dose of 5 g L-1.
In type C furnace (Figure 3), first the small drum was The contents were shaken in orbital shaker for 1 h to
filled with raw material. The capacity of the drum was attain equilibrium condition. After equilibrium the
around 14 kg. Then the top of the drum was closed and contents of the each bottle were filtered through
sealed with clay. Next the drum was placed in the Whatman No. 1 filter paper and analyzed the color
furnace. Then the cover of the furnace was closed and reduction. The above set of experiments was repeated
also sealed with clay. The fuel was placed on the grit for Diphenol Purple, Bromo Cresol purple, commercial
and start burning. When the process going on the smoke red and blue solutions.
produced in the furnace was enter the pot through the
bottom side opening and passes out through the top side Table 1: % of color reduction on different solution
opening which was connected with furnace vent line. Name of solution Prepared Locally available
This heated air and the produced heat was used for Activated Activated carbon
preparing activated carbon. A digital thermometer was Carbon (%) (%)
placed inside the pot to record the inside temperature. Tea water 43.27 35.00
The furnace was fueled until the furnace temperature Diphenol Purple 66.15 32.03
reached above 500o C and maintained the furnace Bromo Cresol purple 43.67 9.68
temperature above 500o C. The smoke came out from Commercial Red 59.34 5.84
the furnace was also observed. Initially the smoke color Commercial blue 94.59 85.65
was black. When the smoke color turned into white, all
the openings were sealed with clay. The outlet 5.4 Contact time study
temperature was observed as 94o C when white smoke
came out. Then the sealed furnace kept for 48 hours and This was carried out to determine the rate of color
opened to bring out the prepared activated carbon. reduction of prepared activated carbon and locally
available activated carbon.
The activated carbon was prepared in each type of
furnaces several times in different condition. One batch
of chemically activated carbon was prepared in Type A
furnace.

5. Results and discussion

5.1 Production & cost

Good amount of activated carbon were found in Type A

and Type B furnace. The activated carbon prepared
from Type A, Type B and Type C furnace were 48%,
76% and 35% of total input respectively. In Type A,
Type B and Type C furnaces about 0.08 kg, 1.5 kg, and
4 kg activated carbon were produced respectively. The
firewood needed for the each types of furnace were 6
kg, 12 kg and 21 kg respectively. Considering the price
of raw material & firewood, the production cost of
activated carbon was found 246Tk, 25Tk and 20Tk
respectively. The chemically activated carbon prepared
Figure 4: Red color adsorption on diferrent activated
carbon
Figure 4 shows the adsorption of commercial red
solution with respect to time. From this figure it has
been seen that at 90 minute time interval prepared
activated carbon absorbed 80% red color whereas at
same time interval locally available activated carbon

MIE10-102- 3
 absorbrd only 12% color. Another observation is that,
upto 90 minutes the prepared activated carbon absorbed
color rapidly and after 90 minutes the adsorption rate
become slow.
[6] A. H. Abdullah, A. Kassim, Z. Zainal, M.Z.
Hossain, D. Kuang, F. Ahmed, O.S. Wooi,
Preparation and Characterization of Activated
Carbon from Gelam Wood Bark (Melauca
cajuputi), Malaysian Journal of Analytical
Sciences, Vol. 7 (1), pp 65-68 (2001).

Fig 5: Blue color adsorption on diferrent activated

carbon

Figure 5 shows the adsorption of commercial blue

solution with respect to time. From this figure it has
been seen that both activated carbon give same
adsorption trend. At 110 minute time interval prepared
activated carbon absorbed 100% blue color whereas at
same time interval locally available activated carbon
absorbrd 91% color.

6. Conclusion

Different types of low cost furnaces were successfully

fabricated in the laboratory. The furnaces were used to
produce a sufficient amount of activated carbon. Type B
and C furnaces may be used for commercial production.
The costs of fabrication of furnaces were very low
compare to muffle furnace or horizontal/vertical tube
furnace. Adsorption capacity of produced activated
carbon was higher than locally available activated
carbon.

REFERENCES
[1] H. Marsh, Activated carbon compendium: A
collection of papers from the journal carbon 1996–
2000. Amsterdam: Elsevier, (2001).
[2] C. Moreno-Castilla, Adsorption of organic
molecules from aqueous solutions on carbon
materials. Carbon,Vol. 42, pp 83-93 (2004).
[3] D.F. Aloko, G.A. Adebayo, Production and
Characterization of Activated Carbon from
Agricultural Waste (Rice-husk and Corn-cob),
Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Vol.
2(2), pp 440-444 (2007).
[4] A. H. Mahvi, A. Maleki, A. Eslami, Potential of
Rice Husk and Rice Husk Ash for Phenol Removal
in Aqueous Systems, American Journal of Applied
Sciences, Vol. 1(4), pp 321-326 (2004).
[5] K. Kermani, H. Pourmoghaddas, B. Bina, Z.
Khazaei, Removal of Phenol from Aqueous
Solutions by Rice Husk Ash and Activated Carbon,
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, Vol.
9(10), pp 1905-1910 (2006).

MIE10-102- 4

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