Limsuwan P.Pongpai J.Yiamsawas D.Tanthapanichakoon W.Maneeintr K.Trakulmututa J.Srikhaow A.Smith S.M.Sasaki K.Chuaicham C.Mahidol University2025-02-272025-02-272025-02-01Adsorption Vol.31 No.2 (2025)09295607https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/105464This work aimed to synthesize and characterize activated carbon derived from durian wastes, a substantial agricultural by-product in Thailand, with a focus on its efficacy in aqueous phenol removal. The activated carbon derived from durian seed (AC-DSE) and activated carbon derived from durian shell (AC-DSH) was prepared using phosphoric acid (H3PO4) as the activating agent, subsequently, carbonization occurred under a nitrogen atmosphere. The synthesized samples underwent comprehensive characterization. In phenol removal, the adsorption performance of the AC-DSE was notable, achieving a phenol removal efficiency of around 90% within 180 min, employing 0.1 g of AC-DSE for 20 ml of aqueous phenol solution (initial concentration: 10 mg/l). Compared with AC-DSH and a commercial activated carbon, the obtained AC-DSE exhibited the highest phenol removal due to high specific surface area of 2,054 m2/g, with an average pore size of 3.85 nm, micro, and mesopore volumes of 1.43 and 2.27 cm3/g, respectively. Moreover, the adsorption behaviour followed to the Langmuir model, while the experimental data closely aligned with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. These findings emphasize the potential of activated carbon derived from durian waste as a sustainable adsorbent for organic removal from wastewater.Chemical EngineeringChemistryPhysics and AstronomyArticleSCOPUS10.1007/s10450-025-00606-72-s2.0-8521822951015728757