PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF COAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SILVER NANOPARTICLE IMPREGNATED ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

Abstract

Coal is a combustible black and brown black sedimentary rock mainly composed of carbon and also contains hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen. It account for about 34% of electricity generated in the world. Activated carbon is also called the activated charcoal which possessed to have small, low volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reaction. Studied had proven that activated carbon is used to remove the bacteria. This study was done to characterize the coal by proximate analysis of coal and antimicrobial activity of silver nanopartlces impregnated/activated charcoal from Kalimati-4, Dharan. In this study proximate analysis of coal containing moisture content, volatile matters, fixed carbon and pH were determined. By the proximate analysis it was found that the moisture content is 2.2%, volatile matter is 15%, and fixed carbon is 53.8%. And its pH is 5.83.The study on the coal of Kalimati, Dharan has antimicrobial activity of silver impregnated activated carbon nanoparticles against E. coli. Larger zone of inhibition greater will be its antimicrobial activity as this study found that on the concentration 1.5 mol/L, there was larger zone of inhibition i.e 10mm and 11mm on 25mg and 50 mg nanoparticles respectively.