Production of activated carbon from rice husk to support Zn²⁺ ions

The aim of this study is producing the low-cost activated carbon rice husks by chemical activation using zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) at 700°C in N₂ atmosphere. Impregnation ratios of 1:1 2:1 3:1 and 4:1 (gZnCl₂/g rice husk) have been used. The highest yield is obtained with the ratio of 4:1 and found 40.90. Zinc ions in the form of ZnNO₃ have been added to the obtained product which has a higher pore size than the raw material. Obtained activated carbon and the ZnNO₃ added products have then been characterized using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photos, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) methods. The BET surface area of the highest yield activated carbon has found 922.319 m²/g according to the results of the analysis. The results of this study will be useful in developing resource recovery systems for agricultural biomass. Results have that carbonization impregnation ratio have significant effect on the surface area and pore structure of the prepared activated carbon. The whole process can be summarized in the following steps; activation of the rice husk, carbonization, washing, preparing the RHC/Zn mixtures and characterization.