Pore Diameter and Carbon Composition of Walnut Shells of Tidore Islands, North Maluku, Indonesia

Abstract

Walnut shell carbon was produced using the pyrolysis method at 350 °C. The pyrolyzed carbon was activated using 3M of KOH activator. The pyrolyzed and KOH-activated carbon were analyzed with FTIR, SEM-EDX, and XRD. The functional group identified from the KOH-activated carbon of the walnut shell is the aromatic C-H group, C-H aliphatics, C-O alcohol, C-O acetic acid, and C-O ester. The diameter of the pyrolyzed carbon pores is 333.9-2839 nm, while the KOH-activated one is 1217-2137 nm. The composition of the carbon elements increased from 70.6% (pyrolised carbon) to 79.40% (KOH-activated). Based on the results of the XRD analysis, both carbons show widening and amorphous peaks.