Geographical Disparities in Pyrolysis-Induced Porosity of Activated Carbon from Cocos nucifera in Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis Across Political Regions

Study’s Excerpt/Novelty This research looks beyond the standard practice and explores how varying RH levels impact surface area development in activated carbon derived from tall African coconut shells (Cocos nucifera) through pyrolysis. According to the study, the biomass's initial relative humidity (RH) determines the optimal temperature for maximizing surface area in the activated carbon. Higher pyrolysis temperature results in greater surface area for samples with a mid-range relative humidity (65-850). Interestingly, the maximum surface area is reached at a particular temperature (750°C in this investigation) for samples with lower relative humidity. This highlights the importance of considering RH as a factor influencing the activation process and tailoring the pyrolysis temperature to achieve optimal surface area in the final activated carbon product. Full Abstract There is an urgent and growing need for high-power energy sources due to the quick growth of portable electronic devices and hybrid electric cars. It is necessary to reevaluate biomass pyrolysis's ability to slow climate change. In the current work, African tall Cocos nucifera (CN) from Nigeria's three geopolitical zones is chemically ground and pyrolyzed. The ground samples were washed with sulfuric acid to destroy the resistant lignin and the polymers with different activation temperatures (650–850°C) in the LT furnace. Through the use of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), RAMAN, and Field Emission Scanned Electromagnetic Microscopy (FESEM), and Brunauer–Emmett– Teller (BET), the molecular, physical, morphological, and porosimetry tests of the produced activated carbon were analysed. We found out that the surface area of samples with Relative Humidity (RH) within the range (of 65-85)% increases with increasing pyrolysis temperature, while those with lower (RH) have the highest surface area at 750℃. This implies that moisture content, a derivative of (RH), plays a significant role in the pyrolysis process, thereby aiding the mechanical strength of activated carbon for onward use in energy storage systems.