Fiber activated carbon multipurpose material

Abstract

Background. Carbon sorbents, in particular fibrous activated carbon materials (FACM), play an important role for the prevention of environmental pollution. Their use is equally important to enhance health care, improve the energy sector, recover and reuse wastewater and combat existing pollution. Carbon sorbents are characterized by a high surface to mass ratio (specific surface area). Due to this, they are much higher than traditional activated carbon by efficiency.
The aim of the work is to develop a technology for obtaining FACM with high sorption capacity for benzene at technically permissible degree of combustion of activated polymer fibers.
Materials and methods. The obtained carbon activated fiber was investigated for sorption activity on benzene, its porosity was determined by electron microscopy, low-angle X-ray scattering, total pore volume by isopyestric method (isothermal distillation) in water, ethyl alcohol and benzene. The oxidation of the material is determined by the amount of potassium permanganate recovered in the neutral solution. The surface density of polymer fibers (g/cm²) and their specific surface area (m²/g) was determined according to GOST R 58062–2018.
Results. To prove the possibility of industrial use of the developed material, a comparison of the properties of known sorption fibrous carbon materials and the material according to the invention obtained in various variants of its implementation.
The developed FACM exceeds the known materials by 2.0–2.2 times the sorption capacity for benzene and by 200–700 m²/g by the values of the specific surface. The study revealed that the highest treatment temperature of 1000 °C in the preparation of developed FACM complies with the highest values of sorption capacity (2.4 cm³/g) and specific surface area (3000 m²/g), and the degree of burning of activated polymer fibers is 55 %. At the same time, the surface density of the polymer fibers of the developed FACM is the lowest and 1.8–4.2 times lower among the presented activated carbon materials. At the same time, for the developed FACM for the lowest surface density of polymer fibers (50 g/cm²), the maximum specific surface area (3000 m²/g) is inherent.
Conclusion. A new fibrous activated carbon material with high sorption capacity for benzene at technically permissible degree of combustion of activated polymer fibers has been developed. The material can be used in the purification of liquid and gaseous media from unwanted impurities, for use in the electrical industry, as well as for medical purposes.