Production of Activated Carbon from Pineapple Crown Waste for the Development of a Fuel Filter

Abstract

In this study, pineapple crown waste from pineapple farms is used to produce activated carbon, and the resulting product is applied in a fuel filtration system to overcome the problems of agricultural waste disposal and the lack of affordable means to purify fuels. Pyrolysis and chemical activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) were used to produce activated carbon, and characterization of the material using BET surface area analysis (335.379 m²/g), SEM images, and adsorption tests was successfully conducted. It was found that when 400g of dried pineapple crown was used, 70g of activated carbon was synthesized and tested to improve fuel clarity and contaminant removal. The fuel filter developed has been found to have up to 75% efficiency in filtering up to 10 μm dirt. These fuel filters with activated carbon may be used for a variety of fuels, including diesel, kerosene, petrol and biofuels. The findings support the use of pineapple crown as a sustainable and economical source to produce activated carbon for use in fuel filtration systems, in line with the Waste to Wealth concept and promote environmental sustainability and resource recovery. Future studies should consider testing for the percentage removal of specific contaminants, such as a count of the particulates or dye concentration reading by spectrophotometric analysis.