Preparation, Characterization, and Carbon Dioxide Sorption Behaviour of Meranti Sawdust Porous Activated Carbon Using Taguchi L9 Orthogonal Array.

Emission of greenhouse gases is currently recognized as one of the most significant problems confronting societies all over the world. Human activities, such as the consumption of fossil fuels for the generation of heat and electricity, as well as other industrial operations and transportation, are the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The implementation of adsorption technology for the capture of carbon are widely used to lower the greenhouse gas emissions mainly carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, there are still insufficient research has been done on the performance of Meranti sawdust as a low-cost carbon for CO₂ capture, particularly by using a greener activation agent. A mechanochemical activation method using potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃) is highlighted in this study, where the approach is simpler and more environmentally friendly. By using the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array, several variables (i.e., temperature, impregnation ratio, duration, N₂ flow rate) have been investigated to determine the optimal operating conditions to obtain high yield activated carbon. From the findings, it is shown that the optimal conditions for the activated carbon production is at 700 °C, impregnation ratio of 3:1, carbonization time of 60 min, and N₂ flow of 900 mL/min, with corresponding activated carbon yield is approximately 41 % and CO₂ adsorption capacity of 2.8 mmol/g. The carbon materials are to be evaluated in terms of elemental composition, surface functionalities and morphologies, as well as textural characteristics. Overall, wood waste conversion to activated carbon aligns with SDG 9, SDG 12, as well as SDG 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]