Physico-chemical and electrical properties of activated carbon cloths Effect of inherent nature of the fabric precursor

M. E. RAMOS; P. R. BONELLI; A. L. CUKIERMAN

COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS; Año: 2008 vol. 324 p. 86 - 92

0927-7757

Five different cellulose-based fabrics were used to prepare activated carbon cloths (ACCs) by phosphoricacid activation at pre-established experimental conditions, in an attempt to explore the effect of theprecursor s nature on properties of the resulting ACCs. Characterization by elemental analysis, nitrogen(77K) adsorption, and scanning electron microscopy was carried out. Electrical properties of the developedACCs were investigated to examine the possibility of regenerating the ACCs by direct electricalheating. Thermal behavior of the raw precursor and of one of the acid-treated fabrics was also studiedby thermogravimetric analysis and noticeable differences due to the precursors characteristics and acidimpregnation were detected, respectively. The ACCs derived from a denim precursor showed BET surfacearea (784m2/g) and total pore volume (0.40cm3/g ) lower than those obtained from the four otherprecursors (1058 1183m2/g, 0.55 0.67 cm3/g), whereas carbon content and yield for the formerwerehigher. Morphology and physical appearance of the ACCs were dependent on the raw fabric employed,with most of the samples presenting well-preserved fibres integrity. Besides, the denimderived ACCsalso showed the lowest electrical resistivity 0.008 Ohm m). It was properly correlated with the elementalcarbon content and total pore volume of the developed ACCs.