Activated carbon (AC) is widely used as an adsorbent in the treatment of liquids and gases. Many industries such as pharmaceutical, mining, petroleum, nuclear, water treatment, food and beverages are using activated carbon in their processing units. The important parts of the production process of activated carbon are the carbonisation (production of charcoal) and activation (production of activated carbon). Most of the AC industry in Malaysia use charcoal made from coconut shell, and the charcoal is obtained from local suppliers or imported from Philippines and Indonesia. It is only a handful which are involved in the production of AC from oil palm biomass [specifically palm kernel shells (PKS)], due to shortage of charcoal supply and the low quality. To achieve sustainable production of charcoal, an environmental-friendly and a continuous process is crucial. In the earlier years, two batch systems of carbonisation systems were introduced; namely the Hollow Plinth Carbonisation system (Astimar and Ropandi, 2011) and Taki Carbonisation system (Astimar et al., 2012, Rugayah et al., 2014). Both systems are considered environmental-friendly (having the smoke emitted being scrubbed and treated). With the increasing demand of charcoal, especially in the bio-energy and waste water sectors, opting for a sustainable and continuous carbonisation system is very important. The shortage of labour for working in the batch systems is also one of the issues that hinder the commercialisation of charcoal.

Researcher: Dr Astimar Abd Aziz
Email: astimar@mpob.gov.my