Superior microporous development in teak sawdust-derived activated carbon via N₂ activation for enhanced methylene blue uptake

I Gusti Agung Kade Suriadi (Industrial Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University)
Dewa Ngakan Ketut Putra Negara (Doctoral Study Program in Engineering Science, Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University)
Tjokorda Gede Tirta Nindhia (Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University)
I Gusti Agung Ketut Chatur Adhi Wirya Aryadi (Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Mataram)

JRTI (Jurnal Riset Tindakan Indonesia)
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): JRTI (Jurnal Riset Tindakan Indonesia)

This study investigates the effect of activation atmosphere (N₂ and CO₂) on the physicochemical properties and adsorption performance of teak sawdust-derived activated carbon for methylene blue removal. Carbonization was conducted at 750 °C followed by physical activation at 700 °C with a gas flow rate of 200 mL min⁻¹. Characterization results showed that N₂ activation produced a higher specific surface area and micropore volume compared to CO₂ activation, indicating more dominant microporous development. The N₂-activated sample exhibited superior adsorption uptake toward methylene blue under the tested condition (5 ppm), reaching 13.30 mg g⁻¹, while the CO₂-activated carbon showed lower uptake. The findings suggest that activation atmosphere strongly influences pore evolution and adsorption behavior. However, adsorption performance was evaluated at a single concentration; therefore, further isotherm and kinetic studies are required to determine the true maximum adsorption capacity and adsorption mechanism.