in the same temperature range.
Accordingly, the extent of activation will depend on the gas employed,
the temperature range used, the reaction times and related
rates (Yalcin and Arol, 2002). In addition, the factors that influence
the pore volume, surface area and mean pore diameter are the rate
of heating during carbonisation, the final temperature and the activation
process time. When the degree of burn off is less than 50% a
microporous structure is produced in the activated carbon, while a
mixed porous structure is produced when the degree of burn off is
between 50% and 75% (Bansal et al., 1988). As a result, the different
types of activated carbons can be engineered to suit a particular
specific application (McDougall et al., 1981; Marsden and House,
1993).