Compared coconut shells with other fuels such as coal, wood and coconut shells coco peat, it is a best raw material for the production of activated carbon because coconut shell hardness and high carbon storage.
Hardness of coconut shell charcoal making production process activated carbon from coconut shell charcoal is harder (resistant to abrasion higher) and contains less ash. High carbon coconut shell create lots of foam for the activated carbon produced from coconut shell; therefore absorption of carbon increases. Activated carbon made from coconut shell charcoal iodine number is higher than other types of activated carbon and activated carbon made from coal. Iodine number is a measure of the level of activity of activated carbon; ie 01g activated charcoal can absorb many grams milliliter of iodine. Activated carbon made from coconut shell charcoal from 1100-1200 of iodine, more than the iodine number of activated carbon made from coal only from 900-1000 of iodine.
The world has a very high demand on the use of activated carbon produced from coconut shell charcoal. According to Freedonia, a plant research in the international coal market Cleveland Ohio said in the past 05 years, the demand for imports of activated carbon from coconut shell charcoal increased by 7.73% / year and is estimated to increase from 10 % - 25% per year from 2013 - 2018 Due to the growth and market opportunities in the global charcoal, some charcoal producers have expanded production and sourcing raw materials from other countries. For exports of activated carbon produced from coconut shell charcoal, then in many other sources said coal exports in global activity in 2012 reached 1913.2 million and are expected to increase by 4,180 , $ 5 million in 2019; increase of 14.8% per year.
In the Philippines, exports of activated carbon produced from coconut shell charcoal in 2009 was 22 985 tonnes to 47 150 tonnes and increased in 2013; means charcoal exports from developing countries increased by 26.3% / year or even higher than activated carbon exports of Sri Lanka. On the other hand, exports of activated carbon produced from coconut shell charcoal in Indonesia in the last 05 years tend to lower. In 2009, Indonesia exported 22 741 tons of activated carbon, but by 2013, the country exported only 20 208 tonnes; decreased by 2.8% / year. In addition, the price of charcoal exports from Indonesia also fell from $ 1,404 / ton in 2012 to $ 1,343 / tonne in 2013 Although demand for charcoal is increasing worldwide, but Indonesia (State largest coconut producer) still can not exploit such an opportunity.
Notably, in 2013, of the three countries exporting coconut shell charcoal and activated carbon is Sri Lanka's leading exporter and largest activated carbon coconut shell charcoal at least. In contrast, Indonesia to export coconut shell charcoal activated carbon and at least most. The rate of export charcoal made from coconut shell charcoal highest belongs to Indonesia (1.89); followed by the Philippines (1.32) and Sri Lanka (0.23). This shows the efficiency of the processing of raw materials to Sri Lanka as compared to other countries. Instead of exporting the Sri Lankan coconut shell charcoal chose processed into activated charcoal for export to obtain higher values. It is worth noting that in 2013, Indonesia has imported more than 10 135 tons of activated carbon from other countries such as Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Japan and India, increased by 52.4% compared with the previous year's imports.
From July 12/2012 - 11/2013, coconut shell charcoal prices in the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia different frequencies. While the price of coconut shell charcoal in the Philippines and Indonesia lowered the overall price coconut shell charcoal in Sri Lanka has improved. In May 02/2014, coconut shell charcoal prices in Sri Lanka 390 USD peaked / ton, an increase of 17.1% compared to the price of the month 01/2013 333 USD / ton. In Indonesia, coconut shell charcoal prices reached a peak of 382 USD / ton in June 6/2013 and have continued to trend lower to 337 USD / ton in May 3/2014. Similarly, the price of coconut shell charcoal in the Philippines had better start improving in December 12/2012, reached 384 USD / ton and 315 USD dropped / ton in May 3/2014; decreased about 1.12% / year.
Notably, Sri Lanka and Indonesia have a small correlation between the price of coal and coconut shell activated carbon export prices. In both countries, the correlation is lower than 0.6; This means that the price of coal and coconut shell activated carbon export prices hardly have any relationship with each other because coconut shell charcoal in 02 countries not only be used for the production of activated carbon. For example, in Indonesia, a part of coconut shell charcoal production on the market are used domestic as used in the restaurant for grilled food (particularly in Java) and in industrial applications such as the use used in the factory bars shaped coconut shell charcoal. Activity coconut shell charcoal production in Indonesia shaped ingot have tended to increase with the number of manufacturing plants and coal are increasing due to lower investment and less technical knowledge than the plant activated carbon. Meanwhile, the price of coconut shell charcoal and activated carbon in the Philippines are not statistics.
