Physicochemical Char...

Activated carbon (AC) possess several desirable properties that enable their use in adsorption and these properties can be established through various techniques. The physicochemical characterization of millet stalk-derived activated carbon from agricultural waste using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was analysed. Agricultural waste of millet stalks was collected from local farmers within Kaduna state, Nigeria. The FTIR analysis was then performed by scanning the potassium bromide (KBr) pellet in the FTIR spectrometer within the wavelength range of 400 – 4000 cm-1. For SEM, the AC prepared in optimal conditions and analyzed using a Philips XL30 microscope. XRD used an Empyrean Pan Analytical XRD diffractometer from Worcestershire and scans were conducted over a range of angles (2θ) from 5° to 60°. The result revealed that the FTIR peak in the region around 3200 cm⁻¹ indicates the presence of hydroxyl groups (-OH) from carboxylic acids while the peak at 1200 and 1500 cm⁻¹ which are absent in the raw millet stalk suggest C-O and C=O bonds respectively from alcohols or esters. Also, rough, uneven surface seen in the SEM micrograph of millet stalk activated carbon is a typical characteristic of activated carbon produced from lignocellulosic materials. The broad peak observed in the activated carbon sample in the 2θ region around 25–30° can be attributed to the (002) plane of disordered carbon from the XRD analysis. Therefore, the physicochemical characterization using SEM, FTIR and XRD techniques, confirming that millet stalk exhibits the characteristic properties of an effective activated carbon.