• Carbon letters
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2007

A series of activated carbons (ACs) were derived from sugarcane bagasse under two activation schemes: steam-pyrolysis at $600-800^{\circ}C$ and chemical activation with $H_3PO_4$ at $500^{\circ}C$. Some carbons were treated at 400, $600^{\circ}C$, or for 1-3 h, and/or in flowing air during pyrolysis of acid-impregnated mass. XRD profiles displayed two broad diffuse bands centered around $2{\theta}=23$ and $43^{\circ}$, currently associated with diffraction from the 002 and 100/101 set of planes in graphite, respectively. These correspond to the interlayer spacing, Lc, and microcrystallite lateral dimensions, La, of the turbostratic (fully disordered) graphene layers. Steam pyrolysis-activated carbons exhibit only the two mentioned broad bands with enhancement in number of layers, with temperature, and small decrease in microcrystallite diameter, La. XRD patterns of $H_3PO_4$-ACs display more developed and separated peaks in the early region with maxima at $2{\theta}=23$, 26 and $29^{\circ}$, possibly ascribed to fragmented microcrystallites (or partially organized structures). Diffraction within the $2{\theta}=43^{\circ}$ is still broad although depressed and diffuse, suggesting that the intragraphitic layers are less developed. Varying the conditions of chemical activation inflicts insignificant structural alterations. Circulating air during pyrolysis leads to enhancement of the basic graphitic structure with destruction and degradation in the lateral dimensions.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.302-314
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• 2015

There is an adsorption method using activated carbon as a typical method for removing elemental mercury. Physical characteristics of activated carbon such as specific surface area and volume of pore (micro and meso) have positive effect for mercury adsorption. Activated carbon is carbon-based material with a high specific surface area. This activated carbon can be manufactured through carbonization and activation process. In this process, physical characteristics of specific surface area and pore distribution are changed by controlling operating parameters like temperature, time and reagent of activation. In this study, we evaluated characteristics of activated carbons manufactured from pinewood and coal with the operating parameters. We evaluated mercury adsorption capacities of the activated carbons having excellent physical characteristics and compared those to the commercial activated carbon.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.219.2-219.2
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• 2011

The oxyfluorination effects of electrospun carbon nanofibers (OFACFs) were investigated for $CO_2$ storage. Carbon nanofibers were prepared form poly acrylonitrile / N,N-dimethylformamide solution through electrospinning method and heat treatment. Chemical activation of carbon nanofibers were carried out in order to improve the pore structure. And the surface modification of activated carbon nanofibers was conducted by oxyfluorination to improve the $CO_2$ storage on effect of introduced functional groups. The samples were labeled CF (electrospun carbon nanofiber), ACF (activated carbon nanofibers), OFACF-1 ($F_2:O_2$ = 3:7), OFACF-2 ($F_2:O_2$ = 5:5) and OFACF-3 ($F_2:O_2$ = 7:3). The functional group of OFACFs was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The specific surface area, pore volume and pore size of OFACFs were calculated and pore shape was estimated by the BET equation. Through the adsorption isotherm, the specific surface area and pore volume significantly decreased by oxyfluorination.

• Carbon letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2009

Activated carbon spheres (ACS) were prepared at different heating rates by carbonization of the resole-type phenolic beads (PB) at $950^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ atmosphere followed by activation of the resultant char at different temperatures for 5 h in $CO_2$ atmosphere. Influence of heating rate on porosity and temperature on carbon structure and porosity of ACS were investigated. Effect of heating rate and temperature on porosity of ACS was also studied from adsorption isotherms of nitrogen at 77 K using BET method. The results revealed that ACS have exhibited a BET surface area and pore volume greater than $2260\;m^2/g$ and $1.63\;cm^3/g$ respectively. The structural characteristics variation of ACS with different temperature was studied using Raman spectroscopy. The results exhibited that amount of disorganized carbon affects both the pore structure and adsorption properties of ACS. ACS were also evaluated for structural information using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. ACS were evaluated for chemical composition using CHNS analysis. The ACS prepared different temperatures became more carbonaceous material compared to carbonized material. ACS have possessed well-developed pores structure which were verified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM micrographs also exhibited that ACS have possessed well-developed micro- and meso-pores structure and the pore size of ACS increased with increasing activation temperature.

• Carbon letters
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2014

A hierarchical pore structured novolac-type phenol based-activated carbon with micropores and mesopores was fabricated. Physical activation using a sacrificial silicon dioxide ($SiO_2$) template and chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) were employed to prepare these materials. The morphology of the well-developed pore structure was characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The novolac-type phenol-based activated carbon retained hierarchical pores (micropores and mesopores); it exhibited high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface areas and hierarchical pore size distributions. The hierarchical pore novolac-type phenol-based activated carbon was used as an electrode in electric double-layer capacitors, and the specific capacitance and the retained capacitance ratio were measured. The specific capacitances and the retained capacitance ratio were enhanced, depending on the $SiO_2$ concentration in the material. This result is attributed to the hierarchical pore structure of the novolac-type phenol-based activated carbon.

• Carbon letters
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2007

The activated carbon produced from rubber wood sawdust by chemical activation using phosphoric acid have been utilized as an adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution in the concentration range 5-40 mg/l. Adsorption experiments were carried out in a batch process and various experimental parameters such as effect of contact time, initial copper ion concentration, carbon dosage, and pH on percentage removal have been studied. Adsorption results obtained for activated carbon from rubber wood sawdust were compared with the results of commercial activated carbon (CAC). The adsorption on activated carbon samples increased with contact time and attained maximum value at 3 h for CAC and 4 h for PAC. The adsorption results show that the copper uptake increased with increasing pH, the optimum efficiency being attained at pH 6. The precipitation of copper hydroxide occurred when pH of the adsorbate solution was greater than 6. The equilibrium data were fitted using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm equation. The kinetics of sorption of the copper ion has been analyzed by two kinetic models, namely, the pseudo first order and pseudo second order kinetic model. The adsorption constants and rate constants for the models have been determined. The process follows pseudo second order kinetics and the results indicated that the Langmuir model gave a better fit to the experimental data than the Freundlich model. It was concluded that activated carbon produced using phosphoric acid has higher adsorption capacity when compared to CAC.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.256-262
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• 2021

A carbon felt electrode was prepared using ozone and ammonia sequential treatment and applied as an electrode for a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). The physical and electrochemical analyses demonstrate that the oxygen groups facilitate nitrogen doping in the carbon felt. Carbon felt (J5O3+NH3), which was subjected to ammonia heat treatment after ozone treatment, showed higher oxygen and nitrogen contents than carbon felt (J5NH3+O3), which was subjected to ammonia heat treatment first and then ozone treatment. From the charging/discharging of VRFB, the J5O3+NH3 carbon felt electrode showed 14.4 Ah/L discharge capacity at a current density of 150 mA /cm², which was 15% and 33% higher than that of J5NH3+O3 and non-activated carbon felt (J5), respectively. These results show that ozone and ammonia sequential treatment is an effective carbon felt activation method to increase the performance of the vanadium redox flow battery.

• Carbon letters
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.134-136
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• 2007

In this work, activated carbons (ACs) were prepared from polystyrene-based cation-exchangeable resin (PSI) by a chemical activation with KOH as an activating agent. The surface morphologies were observed by using SEM, and the textural properties were investigated by using nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. From the experimental results, it was found that the well-developed micro- and mesopores were produced by a chemical activation, and the textural properties including specific surface areas and pore volumes were greatly enhanced. The electrochemical behaviors of the ACs showed similar phenomena with that of textural properties. These results indicated that KOH activation played an important role in the changes of surface, and pore structures, resulting in enhancing the electrochemical properties of the ACs prepared in present work.

• Carbon letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.224-234
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• 2010

Four activated carbons were produced by two-stage process as followings; semi-carbonization of indigenous biomass waste, i.e. cotton stalks, followed by chemical activation with KOH under various activation temperatures and chemical ratios of KOH to semi-carbonized cotton stalks (CCS). The surface area, total pore volume and average pore diameter were evaluated by $N_2$-adsorption at 77 K. The surface morphology and oxygen functional groups were determined by SEM and FTIR, respectively. Batch equilibrium and kinetic studies were carried out by using a basic dye, methylene blue as a probe molecule to evaluate the adsorption capacity and mechanism over the produced carbons. The obtained activated carbon (CCS-1K800) exhibited highly microporous structure with high surface area of 950 $m^2/g$, total pore volume of 0.423 $cm^3/g$ and average pore diameter of 17.8 ${\AA}$. The isotherm data fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm with monolayer adsorption capacity of 222 mg/g for CCS-1K800. The kinetic data obtained at different concentrations were analyzed using a pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion equations. The pseudo-second-order model fitted better for kinetic removal of MB dye. The results indicate that such laboratory carbons could be employed as low cost alternative to commercial carbons in wastewater treatment.

• Carbon letters
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2000

Coal tar pitch was chemically modified with 10 wt% benzoquinone (BQ) to raise the softening point of isotropic pitch precursor and the precursor was melt-spun into pitch fibers, stabilized, carbonized and activated with steam at $900^{\circ}C$. The weight loss of carbon fiber-benzoquinone (CF-BQ) increased with the increase of activation time like other fibers, but was lower than those of Kureha fiber at the same activation time in spite of larger geometric surface area. Those adsorption isotherms fitted into 'Type I' according to Brunauer, Deming, Deming and Teller classification. However, there was very thin low-pressure hysteresis that lower closure points of the hysteresis are about 0.42-0.45. From the pore size distribution curves, there might be some micropores having narrow-necked bottle; a series of interconnected pore is more likely than discrete bottles. FT-IR studies showed that the functional groups such as carboxyl, quinone, and phenol were introduced to ACFs-BQ surface after steam activation. Methylene blue decolorization and iodine adsorption capacity of ACF-BQ increased linearly with the increase of specific surface area and was larger than that of ACF-Kureha at the same specific surface area.