In this study, pomegranate seeds, a by-product of fruit juice industry, were used as precursor for the preparation of activated carbon by chemical activation with ZnCl2. The influence of process variables such as the carbonization temperature and the impregnation ratio on textural and chemical-surface properties of the activated carbons was studied. When using the 2.0 impregnation ratio at the carbonization temperature of 600 degrees C, the specific surface area of the resultant carbon is as high as 978.8 m(2) g (1). The results showed that the surface area and total pore volume of the activated carbons at the lowest impregnation ratio and the carbonization temperature were achieved as high as 709.4 m(2) g (1) and 0.329 cm(3) g (1). The surface area was strongly influenced by the impregnation ratio of activation reagent and the subsequent carbonization temperature. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.