Material karbon aktif berbahan dasar batubara dikembangkan untuk menghasilkan material penyimpan hidrogen. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari efektivitas perlakuan mekanokimia yang diikuti dengan pemanasan temperatur tinggi pada batubara kadar rendah dan karakteristik material yang dihasilkan dari proses tersebut. Proses karbonisasi dilakukan untuk meningkatkan kadar fixed carbon pada material batubara. Perlakuan mekanokimia dilakukan dalam kondisi kering dengan rasio sampel : KOH sebesar 1:4 dan dilakukan selama 4 jam. Kemudian material yang telah dilakukan mekanokimia, dipanaskan pada temperatur 750 oC ditahan selama 75 menit dalam kondisi inert. Beberapa pengujian seperti proksimat, BET, FESEM, dan XRD dilakukan untuk mengetahui karakteristik dari material karbon aktif termasuk pengujian kapasitas penyerapan gas hidrogen. Reduksi ukuran partikel material mencapai 62 % setelah dilakukan proses mekanokimia dengan ukuran partikel rata-rata sebesar 25 µm. Peningkatan luas permukaan (mencapai 333 %) dan total volum pori (mencapai 170 %) terjadi pada material yang telah diaktivasi. Penyerapan gas hidrogen pada material yang telah diaktivasi empat kali lebih tinggi dari material awal, pada temperatur -5 oC dan 25 oC.

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Coal-based activated carbon materials were developed to produce hydrogen storage materials. This research aimed to study the effectiveness of mechanochemical treatment which was followed by high temperature heating of low rank coal and the characteristics of materials which have been produced by the process. Carbonisation was done to increase fixed carbon value of the coal. Mechanochemical treatment was done in dry condition with the ratio of sample and KOH was 1:4 and performed for 4 hours. Then materials which have been done with mechanochemical treatment, were heated up to the maximum temperature of 750 oC which were then held constant for 75 minutes in inert condition.

Some tests such as proximate, BET, FESEM, and XRD performed to determine the characteristics of activated carbon materials including hydrogen adsorption capacity testing. Particle size reduction of materials reached 62 % after mechanochemical treatment with the average particle size of 25 µm. Increased in surface area (up to 333 %) and total pore volume (up to 170 %) occurred in activated materials. The hydrogen adsorption of activated carbon materials were four times higher than non-activated materials (initial materials), at temperature of -5 oC and 25 oC.