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Microporous activated carbon spheres prepared from resole‐type crosslinked phenolic beads by physical activation
Author(s) -
Singh Arjun,
Lal Darshan
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.28846
Subject(s) - microporous material , bet theory , carbonization , chemical engineering , materials science , adsorption , specific surface area , activated carbon , suspension polymerization , polymerization , carbon fibers , volume (thermodynamics) , scanning electron microscope , morphology (biology) , chemistry , composite material , polymer , organic chemistry , catalysis , physics , composite number , quantum mechanics , biology , engineering , genetics
Microporous activated carbon spheres (ACSs) with a high specific Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) surface area were prepared from resole‐type spherical crosslinked phenolic beads (PBs) by physical activation. The PBs used as precursors were synthesized in our laboratory through the mixing of phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of an alkaline medium by suspension polymerization. The effects of the gasification time, temperature, and flow rate of the gasifying agent on the surface properties of ACSs were investigated. ACSs with a controllable pore structure derived from carbonized PBs were prepared by CO 2 gasification. Surface properties of ACSs, such as the BET surface area, pore volume, pore size distribution, and pore diameters, were characterized with BET and Dubinin–Reduchkevich equations based on N 2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K. The results showed that ACSs with a 32–88% extent of burn‐off with CO 2 gasification exhibited a BET surface area ranging from 574 to 3101 m 2 /g, with the pore volume significantly increased from 0.29 to 2.08 cm 3 /g. The pore size and its distribution could be tailored by the selection of suitable conditions, including the gasification time, temperature, and flow rate of the gasifying agents. The experimental results of this analysis revealed that ACSs obtained under different conditions were mainly microporous. The development of the surface morphology of ACSs was also studied with scanning electron microscopy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008