Synthesis, structure and adsorption properties of bagasse-based carbon molecular sieves

Bagasse-based carbon molecular sieves (BCMS) were synthesized by a two-stage carbonization method, using bagasse as the raw material, and phenol-formaldehyde resin and carboxymethyl cellulose as the binders. The BCMS were characterized by N-2 adsorption, X-ray powder diffraction differential thermal analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and adsorptive de-coloring tests. Results showed that the BCMS had mainly micropores with the size centered at 0.72 nm, a micropore volume of 0.11 cm(3)/g and a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 269 m(2)/g. XRD showed that apart from the broad peaks at 2 theta values of 23 degrees and 44 degrees, ascribed to amorphous carbon, there are peaks ascribed to a monoclinic single crystal belonging to C2/c (15) space group, with size of 57.7 nm and cell parameters of a = 2.0437 nm, b = 0.3497 nm, c = 1.034 5 nm, alpha = 90.000 degrees, beta = 106.439 degrees, gamma = 90.000 degrees. The BCMS had developed pores with a hierarchical structure, which afforded them a high adsorption capacity of 1.296 g/g for coloring substances in a clear sugarcane liquor.