Microstructure of activated carbon fibres

Concepts were developed about the microstructure of activated carbon fibres and about its formation during the process of progressive oxidation of carbonized fibres in an activating medium of carbon dioxide or steam. Activated carbon fibres were prepared from carbonized hydrocellulose fibres by oxidizing them at 1000-1200 K. Microstructure characteristics were measured by the sorption method. A modeling concept was developed in which the carbon crystallites form a microporous zone with two types of micropores: intracrystallite and intercrystallite. The anisotropic ordered structure of the fibres made it possible to synthesize adsorbents having a microporous or microporous and mesoporous structure with practically complete absence of macropores. The dependence of pore volume and other parameters on the extent of combustion losses during activation was graphed and made it possible to predict the preparation of fibres with assigned properties.