Gas Sensors Fabricated using Carbon Powder Derived from Dried Banana Peels Waste to detect Methanol, Ethanol, Acetone Vapors and Carbon Dioxide Gas

Year : 2025 | Volume : 15 | Issue : 03 | Page : 14 25
    By

    R.M.A.U. Weerasooriya,

  • P.G.D.C.K. Karunarathna,

  • P. Samarasekara,

  1. Research assistant, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
  2. Senior lecturer, Department of Nano Science Technology, Faculty of Technology, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Kuliyapitiya 60200, Sri Lanka
  3. Senior Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Low cost and environmentally friendly activated carbon powder was synthesized using waste banana peels. Phosphoric acid was utilized as activation agent. Doctor blade method was employed to fabricate films of activated carbon on conductive or nonconductive glass substrates. Films were subsequently annealed at 70 0C for 30 minutes in air. According to XRD patterns, single phase of activated carbon was crystallized in thin film form.  Carbon prepared from banana peels has never been previously applied to detect methanol, ethanol, acetone vapors or CO2 gas. The gas sensitivity was measured in 1000 ppm of these vapors or CO2 gas for 2 hour duration at the room temperature. While the highest gas sensitivity was obtained for acetone vapor, the lowest gas sensitivity was measured for ethanol vapor. Although the resistance of the sample decreased after adsorbing methanol, ethanol or acetone vapor, the resistance of the sample increased after adsorbing CO2 gas. The optical band gap of carbon films was 4.33 eV as found using UV-visible spectrums. According to SEM images, the particle size was in the range of 2 to 20 mm.

Keywords: Activated carbon, banana peels, gas sensitivity, XRD, SEM

[This article belongs to Journal of Materials & Metallurgical Engineering ]

How to cite this article:
R.M.A.U. Weerasooriya, P.G.D.C.K. Karunarathna, P. Samarasekara. Gas Sensors Fabricated using Carbon Powder Derived from Dried Banana Peels Waste to detect Methanol, Ethanol, Acetone Vapors and Carbon Dioxide Gas. Journal of Materials & Metallurgical Engineering. 2025; 15(03):14-25.
How to cite this URL:
R.M.A.U. Weerasooriya, P.G.D.C.K. Karunarathna, P. Samarasekara. Gas Sensors Fabricated using Carbon Powder Derived from Dried Banana Peels Waste to detect Methanol, Ethanol, Acetone Vapors and Carbon Dioxide Gas. Journal of Materials & Metallurgical Engineering. 2025; 15(03):14-25. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jomme/article=2025/view=209556


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Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 15
Issue 03
Received 26/03/2025
Accepted 17/04/2025
Published 25/05/2025
Publication Time 60 Days
122

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