Improvement Of The Structural And Chemical Properties Of An Activated Carbon
Derived From Date Stems By KOH-Activation Using Gamma Ray Irradiation

H.Hadoun*¹, A.Belgacem², I.Toumert¹, B.Mansouri¹

¹Nuclear Research Center of Algiers, 02, Bd Frantz Fanon, B.P. 399, Algiers, (ALGERIA)
²University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, FGMGP, B.P. 32 EL-Alia Bab-Ezzouar, Algiers, (ALGERIA)

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ABSTRACT – DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47204/EMSR.5.1.2023.030-040

In this paper, the effect of gamma ray irradiation on physico-chemical properties of an activated carbon derived from date stems by KOH-activation was studied. Four different irradiation doses of 10, 20, 30 and 50 kGy were applied. The porous carbons were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm at 77 K (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The X-ray diffraction patterns were not significantly affected by gamma irradiation and small changes were observed in the FTIR results. However, significant modifications were detected by BET analysis and the irradiation dose of 30 kGy appears to be optimum and produces a surface area and total pore volume of 1024m²/g and 0.64cm³/g, respectively. SEM results showed that the interaction between the gamma-irradiation and the carbon samples leads to the formation of abundant new pores due to some loss of carbonaceous matter from the surface. In addition, the decrease in BET surface area at 50kGy is attributed to the remarkable erosion caused by gamma irradiation on the carbon surface and complete destroy of some pore wall as observed in SEM pictures. Therefore, gamma irradiation could be used as an efficient method for modifying the physicochemical properties of activated carbon.