Activated Carbon Production from Coconut Shell

No need to doubt the activated carbon from coconut shell is the most popular activated carbon now from a group of renewable raw materials (renewable resource). Indonesia is the largest coconut plantation owner in the world but the production of activated carbon from coconut shell is still low. Unlike palm oil which is generally owned by large plantations with organized businesses with hundreds of processing plants, coconuts are mostly owned by smallholder plantations, less organized so that the processing industry does not develop. So, how can coconut plantations and the industries develop? Before answering this question, it should be noted that coconut plantations and their processing industries suffered a lot of setbacks. This is because the coconut sector still lacks attention. In addition, the pattern of approaches for the coconut industry whose owners are mostly community plantations should also be different from the oil palm industry which is generally owned by large plantations.

Technically the coconut industry can imitate the palm oil industry, especially in the utilization of biomass waste to run its industry. Palm oil mills are more efficient in using biomass waste to extract crude palm oil (CPO) by producing electricity and steam. Biomass waste in palm oil mills is commonly used as an energy source, namely mesocarp fibre and shells. Whereas in the coconut industry there is still a lot of biomass waste that is not utilized at the factory. Coir, bunch, frond to shell can be used as an energy source for coconut processing plants. In the palm oil industry, there are 2 kinds of oil, namely CPO or crude palm oil from palm mesocarp fiber and PKO or palm kernel oil from the kernel of the fruit, whereas in coconut, the fruit can be used to produce copra, oil, coconut milk and dessicated coconut and the water for the production of nata de coco. It is seen that coconut products are more numerous and varied than palm oil. Both palm oil and coconut products are mainly for food products whose needs continue to increase.

If all of the biomass waste can be utilized, it is very possible that the industry can afford its own energy needs from its biomass waste, even if it is excessive. Coconut shell can be used further for the processing of activated charcoal, meaning that the coconut shell is not all used for energy or even all shells are allocated for the production of activated charcoal. In the palm oil industry, not all palm kernel shells are burned or used for energy in the palm oil mill, so one of them can be used for the production of activated carbon, for more details on the production of activated carbon from palm shells can be read here. The production process of activated carbon from coconut shell is also almost the same as the production of activated charcoal from palm kernel shells.

Although it is the largest owner of coconut plantations in the world, it is 3.7 million hectares but compared to its oil palm plantations which reach 12 million hectares, the coconut plantations are relatively small. With the increasing need for coconut-based products, coconut plantations should also be increased. Current coconut plantation centers, such as in Riau, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Gorontalo and so on, which currently have a lot of damage, need to be restored, one of which is integrated with sheep grazing and further improved. With an area of ??coconut plantations 3.7 million hectares of coconut shell has a composition of 12% of coconut fruit so that the total coconut shell is around 23,000 tons / year.

Bagasse Pellet and EFB Pellet for Power Plant Fuel

Baggase pellets and EFB pellets are groups of agricultural waste pellets (agro-waste pellets) whose quality is below wood pellet. Not all power plants can use the two types of pellets above. This is because pellets of agricultural wastes generally have a large ash content and chemical content of ash which cannot be accepted by certain types of electricity generation technology. In general, agricultural waste pellets (agro-waste pellets) contain high potassium (kalium) with low melting point and chlorine that's corrosive element, so it is generally not suitable for pulverized combustion system type plants. The pulverized combustion system operates at high temperatures more than 1400 C. Power plants that operate at lower temperatures such as gasification and fluidized bed combustion (FBC) can use bagasse pellet and EFB pellet as fuel. Palm kernel shell is also suitable for this type of combustion technology, while wood pellet because it comes from wood (woody biomass) generally can be used for fuel pulverized combustion systems.

Baggase and Baggase Pellet

EFB and EFB Pellet

Both baggase pellet and EFB pellets can both be produced in Indonesia because the raw materials are widely available. Even the EFB pellet has a huge potential considering the vastness of palm oil plantations and the number of palm oil mills in Indonesia. With an estimated plantation area of ​​12 million hectares and 600 palm oil mills, Indonesia is the largest producer of CPO (crude palm oil) in the world, followed by Malaysia at number 2. EFB or palm oil empty fruit bunches account for 22% of palm oil plant capacity while 1 ton of sugar produces 3 tons of baggase waste. For sugar cane production, Indonesia is still lagging especially with Brazil. The area of ​​Brazilian sugar cane plantation is 9 million hectares with sugar production of 29 million tons, while Indonesia is only around 0.5 million hectares with sugar production in the range of 2 million tons. Baggase pellets have also been produced in Brazil, namely by the Cosan company with a capacity of 175 thousand tons / year (14.6 thousand tons / month) and exported to Japan.

Although the power plant with gasification and fluidized bed combustion technology is not as much as a pulverized combustion system, but with increasing awareness of environmentally friendly and sustainable renewable energy, it is also predicted that in the near future it will also increase. This is because power plants with gasification and fluidized bed combustion technology (<50 MW) are generally not as large as the pulverized combustion system (> 50 MW). Although small, but if there are large quantities, it will also cause demand for agrowaste pellets, such as pellet baggase and EFB pellets, even palm kernel shells. In the coming era power plants will also be smaller, but scattered and many, even so small that every household can have its own power plant, because it is only the size of a refrigerator, for more details can be read here.

Production of Pharmaceutical Grade Activated Carbon

Surface area is one of the important parameters for activated carbon. But the parameter surface area does not always represent the quality and use of the activated carbon. This is because it is related to the size of the molecule that is intended to be adsorbed from the activated carbon. Activated carbon has different pore size and distribution structures depending on the raw material and the production process. The pore size includes micropore (adsorption section, <2 nm), mesopore (transport pores, 2-50 nm) and macropore (access pores, 50-1000 nm). A typical commercial activated carbon has an internal surface area of ​​around 1000 m2 / gram with an internal pore volume of 0.3-3 ml / gram. A certain molecule of a certain size can only enter the activated carbon pores if it is smaller, and vice versa. The target molecule to be adsorbed with its size must be adjusted to the type of activated carbon used.

The use of activated carbon as a drug was recorded starting from the use of charcoal as a drug that had been carried out in ancient Greece. Its use at that time to treat digestive problems and even continues to this day such as overcoming the problem of overdosing the drug in the stomach. Along with the development of the era, activated carbon products can replace the use of charcoal. One of the important uses of activated carbon in the pharmaceutical field is to depyrogenate solutions for hypodermic infections. Many of these solutions are contaminated with bacterial poisons that cannot be removed by filtration or by sterilization. These poisons have acute reactions with living things and cause an increase in body temperature. Activated carbon when used has a depyrogenation effect and can be used directly for this. Only high purity activated carbon can be used so that it does not affect or cause other reactions with the solution. Purification and decolorization of compounds such as glycerol, lactic acid and its salts, betaine, glutamic acid, and tartaric acid and its salts generally use activated carbon.

"Allah SWT has made a disease and also the medicine. Allah SWT makes every disease have a cure. Then seek treatment, but do not seek treatment with the haram medicines. "(Narrated by Abu Daud no. 3874.).

"The Prophet sallallaahu‘ alaihi wa sallam forbade from drugs which are khobits (which are haram or dirty). "(Narrated by Abu Daud no. 3870, Tirmidhi no. 2045 and Ibn Majah no. 3459).

Concerns about the lack of halal medicines should also be a motivation for Muslims to produce various medicines themselves. Drugs such as food and beverages that enter our stomach are not arbitrary for us to consume. The halal of these products is far more important than the expected benefits, so we must really pay attention (QS 80: 24-32). The Prophet Muhammad ordered his followers to only seek treatment with something halal like the two hadiths above. Activated carbon can be used as a medicine or as an auxiliary material for the production of various kinds of medicines, and also must be ensured its halalness. This is because technically activated carbon can be produced from haram ingredients such as pork bones. Of course this still requires a lot of the struggle of the Muslims with full sincerity and patience so that actually getting the medicines needed is clearly halal.

Rotating Kiln for Steam (Physical) Activation

The production of activated carbon for use in the food and pharmaceutical sectors or drugs can only be done by activating physics, most of which use steam. This is because when using chemical activation such as with H3PO4, ZnCl2 and KOH, it is feared that contamination of activated carbon products will occur. The production process with physics activation is also more environmentally friendly than chemical activation. In addition to obtaining high purity activated carbon, the mineral contents in the ashes such as Ca, Mg, Si, Fe and so on must also be minimized to a minimum even if they can be removed completely. The process of removing minerals in the ash is carried out after the activation process by washing. Whereas in the process of producing activated carbon efficiently so it is very economical, it is better to use a continuous pyrolysis (carbonization) unit so that in addition to producing charcoal as the main product, also by-products that can be used as energy sources, and for more details can be read here.

Foodgrade Activated Carbon Production

Similar to bio pellet fuel where each user requires certain specifications of the type of pellet fuel, so does activated carbon. Basically every bio pellet fuel also has its own user or market (to be more clearly read here) as well as activated carbon. The choice of the standard type and production process will affect the quality or characteristics of the activated carbon. Like bio pellet fuel that can be made from various types of biomass, activated carbon can also be made from carbon-based materials such as biomass and coal. Wood pellets are one of the most popular products from bio pellet fuel, and coconut shell activated carbon is one of the most popular activated carbon products.

One of the uses of activated carbon is for the food sector and for that also has its own characteristics. The most important thing about activated carbon for food is about halal, for example, activated carbon can be made from animal bones, if the bones of an animal are haram (prohibited) like pigs, then the activated carbon is also haram or should not be used. Another thing that needs to be considered is the use of activated carbon for food products which also cannot be prohibited for food and beverages such as alcoholic beverages. It is also technically possible that activated carbon can be used for purifying alcohol.

"Then let the human pay attention to his/her food. Indeed, We have poured out water (from the sky), then We cut the earth as well as possible, then We sprouted grain on the earth, grapes and forages, olives and date palms, dense gardens, and fruits and grass, for your pleasure and for your livestock. "(Qur'an 80: 24-32)

Allah SWT instructs us to always pay attention to our food, this is because Allah SWT will not grant our prayers if the food we consume is haram (illegitimate). Activated carbon as an auxiliary material for food production is important to achieve this halal. Activated applications for the food industry are mainly for removing certain colors and odors from these food products. Some examples of applications are processing fruit juices, honey, sugar, sweeteners, edible oil, soft drinks, syrup and so on. In the industry of potable water activated carbon it is also used to eliminate flavors, odors and harmful contaminants.

Specifically activated carbon that conforms to food grade standards also has its own characteristics. These characteristics are related to ash and chemical levels of ash. Activated carbon ash content is calculated based on mineral content or inorganic components such as Ca, Mg, Si, Fe and so on, which are left in activated carbon after the production process. Activated carbon for food applications specifically and also pharmaceuticals must have high purity from impurities in the form of inorganic material or minerals in the ash. For these applications activated carbon must be cleaned by washing with acid solution and often followed by water to be free from the inorganic ash material.