• Carbon letters
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.82-86
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• 2000

The present research was undertaken to evaluate the possibility of water purification filter with activated carbon fibers (ACFs) using a very low cost precursor consisting of phenolic resin coated on glass fibers. The simplified procedure involving coating, curing and activation and a very low cost glass fiber as a raw material were adopted in order to reduce manufacturing cost. The breakthrough curves of the manufactured ACFs and the commercial activated carbon (AC, Calgon F-200) were investigated in the initial concentration range from 19 to 49 ppm for benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene. From breakthrough profiles, the manufactured ACFs had significantly faster adsorption kinetics than the AC. Especially the benzene breakthrough curves, the manufactured ACF (13 g of ACF with 32% of carbon on the glass) was over the limited level (5 ppb) after flowing of 32 l at initial concentration of 15 ppm, while the commercial AC was shown about 3 ppm in initial adsorption.

• Carbon letters
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• v.1 no.3_4
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• pp.133-137
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• 2001

Mesoporous activated carbon fiber (ACF) was prepared from phenolic resin containing a small amount (0.1 wt %) of organic nickel complex through carbonization and steam activation. Microporous ACF as reference sample was also prepared from phenolic resin without agent. In both cases of the mesoporous ACFs and the microporous ACFs, the electric double layer capacitance of the nonaqueous electrolyte (0.5 M $TEABF_4$/PC or 1.0 M $LiClO_4$/PC) was not proportional to the BET specific surface area. This is owing to the low permeability of nonaqueous electrolyte or the low mobility of ion in narrow micropores. However, the mesoporous ACF showed higher double layer capacitance than the microporous (normal) ACF. This result suggests that the presence of many mesopores promotes the formation of effective double layer or the transfer of ion in the micropore.

• Carbon letters
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.180-185
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• 2004

Thermolysis of $Cu(NO_3)_2{\cdot}3H_2O$ impregnated activated carbon fiber (ACF) was studied by means of XRD analysis to obtain Cu-impregnated ACF. $Cu(NO_3)_2{\cdot}3H_2O$ was converted into $Cu_2O$ around $230^{\circ}C$. The $Cu_2O$ was reduced to Cu at $400^{\circ}C$, resulting in ACF-C(Cu). Some Cu particles have a tendency to aggregate through the heat treatment, resulting in the ununiform distribution in ACF. Catalytic decomposition of NO gas has been performed by Cu-impregnated ACF in a column reactor at $400^{\circ}C$. Initial NO concentration was 1300 ppm diluted in helium gas. NO gas was effectively decomposed by 5~10 wt% Cu-impregnated ACF at $400^{\circ}C$. The concentration of NO was maintained less than 200 ppm for 6 hours in this system. The ACF-C(Cu) deoxidized NO to $N_2$ and was reduced to ACF-$C(Cu_2O)$ in the initial stage. The ACF-$C(Cu_2O)$ also deoxidized NO to $N_2$ and reduced to ACF-C(CuO). This ACF-C(CuO) was converted again into ACF-C(Cu) by heating. There was no consumption of ACF in mass during thermolysis and catalytic decomposition of NO to $N_2$ by copper. The catalytic decomposition was accelerated with increase of the reaction temperature.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.72-90
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• 2001

This study was conducted to evaluate desorption efficiencies accuracy and precision by $CS_2$ and thermal desorption method for polar and non-polar organic solvents collected on activated carbon(AC), activated carbon fiber(ACF), carbosieve SIII, materials tested were Methyl alcohol, n-Hexane, Benzene, Trichloroethylene, Methyl isobutyl ketone and methyl cellosolve acetate and six different concentration levels of samples were made. The results were as follows ; 1. Accuracy on kind adsorbent and desorption method was low. In case of $CS_2$ desorption solvent, Overall B and Overall CV on AC and ACF were 43% and 6.63%, respectively. In case of thermal desorption method, accuracy of thermal desorption method appeared higher than solvent desorption method by AC 18.0%, 3.54%, ACF 2.6%, 2.57%, Carbosieve SIII 13.7% and 1.97%, respectively. 2. In the concentration level III, accuracy of thermal desorption method on adsorbent was in order as follow ; ACF > Carbosieve SIII > AC in the methyl alcohol and Carbosieve SIII > ACF > AC in the rest of them all subject material and Concentration levels showed good precision at EPA recommend standard (${\leq}{\;}30%$) 3. DEs by type of organic solvent adsorbent and desorption method are as follows ; In the case that desorption solvent is $CS_2$, DE of Methyl alcohol is AC 47.5%, DE of all materials is ACF about 50%. In the case of thermal desorption method, DE of Methyl alcohol is AC 82.0%, ACF 97.4%, Carbosieve SIII 86.3%. DE of the later case is prominently improved more than one of former. In particular, Except that DE of EGMEA is ACF 88.5%, DE of the rest of it is more than 95% which is recommend standard MDHS 72. With the result of this study, in order to measure various organic solvent occurring from the working environment, in the case of thermal desorption method, we can get the accurate exposure assessment, reduce the cost, and use ACF as thermal desorption sorbent which available with easy.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.279-288
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• 2007

We have studied a method for the preparation of $ACF/TiO_2$ composites involving the penetrationof titanium n-butoxide (TNB) solution into activated carbon fiber. It was focused on the characterization of $TiO_2$ formed in prorous carbon was which increased with surface functional groups by hydrochloric acid treatment. The conversion of TNB to $TiO_2$ for the acid treatment effect must be important for the preparationof $ACF/TiO_2$ composites. From the characterization of surface properties, both the BET surface area and the total pore volume decreased as the distribution of $TiO_2$ on the activated carbon fiber surfaces after acid treatments.The changes in XRD pattern showed the typical anatase type on $ACF/TiO_2$ composite for the sample named FT, FT1 and FT2 treated with 0.05, 0.1 and 0.5 M, respectively. However, XRD patern of FT3 treated with 0.5M showed mixed amatase-rutile structure. According to the results of SEM micrographs, the titanium complexe particles were irregularly distributed around carbon. And some large clusters were found when an amount of acid treatment increased. The EDX results of $ACF/TiO_2$ composites showed the presence of C, O and P with strong Ti peaks. Finally, the excellent photocatalytic activity of the $ACF/TiO_2$ composites between relative concentration($c/c_o$) of MB (methylene blue) and UV irradiation time could be attributed to the both effects between photocatalysis of the formation of titania complexes and adsorptivity of the activated carbon fiber.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2009

Activated carbon fiber (ACF) was surface modified by nitric acid to improve the adsorption efficiency of the propylamine. Functional groups and textural properties of modified ACF were investigated. The total surface acidity increased about 7 times to that of as-received ACF by modification with 1 M nitric acid solution, carboxylic and phenolic groups mainly increased. However, the specific surface areas and the total pore volumes of the modified ACFs were decreased by 5-8% due to the increased blocking (or demolition) of micropores in the presence of newly introduced complexes. Despite the decrease of textural properties, it was found that the amount of propylamine adsorbed by the modified ACFs was increased by approximately 17%. The oxygen and nitrogen contents on the modified ACF increased by 1.5 and 3 times compared with the as-received ACF. From the XPS results, it was observed that propylamine reacted with strong or weak acidic groups, such as -COOH or -OH on the ACF surfaces, resulting in the formation of pyrrolic-, pyridonic- or pyridine-like structures.

• Carbon letters
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2005

The electrosorption of U(VI) from waste water was carried out by using an activated carbon fiber (ACF) felt electrode in a continuous electrosorption cell. In order to enhance the electrosorption capacity at a lower potential, the ACF was electrochemically modified in an acidic and a basic solution. Pore structure and functional groups of the electrochemically modified ACF were examined, and the effects of the modification conditions were studied for the adsorption of U(VI). Specific surface area of all the ACFs was decreased by this modification. The amount of the acidic functional groups decreased with a basic modification, while the amount increased a lot with an acidic modification. The electrosorption capacity of U(VI) decreased on the acid modified electrode due to the shielding effect of the acidic functional groups. The base modified electrode enhanced the capacity due to a reduction of the acidic functional groups. The electrosorption amount of U(VI) on the base modified electrode at .0.3 V corresponds to that of the as-received ACF electrode at .0.9 V. Such a good adsorption capacity was due to a reduction of the shielding effect and an increase of the hydroxyl ions in the electric double layer on the ACF surface by the application of negative potential.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.220-228
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• 2008

Toluene adsorption characteristics in the adsorption bed packed with activated carbon fiber (ACF) were studied. Experimental apparatus is composed of VOC generation equipment, adsorption bed, and analytical instrument. Breakthrough characteristics were investigated with length of the adsorption bed which consisted of 3 or 5 sheets of the ACF and flow rate when toluene concentration are 400 ppm and 800 ppm respectively. When mass transfer zone (MTZ) comes out of the adsorption bed, toluene concentration is increased sharply and reached plateau region by saturation. Experimental results are compared with semi-empirical gas adsorption model proposed by Yoon and Nelson. In order to investigate the movement of the MTZ with adsorption time in the adsorption bed packed with ACFs, weight increment of each ACF was measured with the location of ACF at each run. When the weight increment of ACF by toluene adsorption which located at the exit of the bed reaches about 20%, toluene started to be detected.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.131-135
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• 2000

We studied adsorption isotherm, surface properties and antibacterial activity of Cu treated activated carbon fiber (ACF). The BET surface area of Cu treated ACF are distributed to $688.2-887.8m^2/g$. The adsorption results show that BET surface areas move gradually to lower value with increasing treated Cu mole concentration. Using t-method, the specific micropore volumes and average pore size were obtained. From the SEM study, it is also observed that many of micropores in activated carbon fiber are blocked surface after the treatment. And we also observed that the activity of E. coli in kind of colon bacillus increases gradually to larger range with increasing Cu mole ratio. From these results, we suggest the antibacterial mechanism for metal treated ACF.

• Carbon letters
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.191-196
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• 2004

The electrochemical removal (ECR) of water pollutants by activated carbon fiber (ACF) electrodes from wastewater was investigated over wide range of electrochemical reaction time. The ECR capacities of ACF electrodes were associated with their internal porosity and were related to physical properties and to reaction time. And, surface morphologies and elemental analysis for the ACFs after electrochemical reaction are investigated by SEM and EDX to explain the changes in adsorption properties. The FT-IR spectra of ACFs for the investigation of functional groups show that the electrochemical treatment is consequently associated with the homogeneous removal of pollutants with the increasing surface reactivity of the activated carbon fiber surfaces. The ACFs were electrochemically reacted to waste water to investigate the removal efficiency for the COD, T-N and T-P. From these removal results of pollutants using ACFs substrate, satisfactory removal performance was obtained. The outstanding removal effects of the ACFs substrate were determined by the properties of the material for adsorption and trapping of organics, and catalytic effects.