Preparation and characterization of highly mesoporous activated short carbon fibers from kenaf precursors

In this study, activated carbon with well-developed mesopores was fabricated using kenaf short fibers as a representative biomass. Concentrated phosphoric acid was selected as an activation agent to create highly developed porous structures, and pore development was observed to occur in relation to the weight ratio of phosphoric acid and kenaf. The pore characteristics of the kenaf-based activated carbon were determined using the N-2/77K adsorption isotherm, and its microcrystalline structure was analyzed using X-ray diffraction. The highest specific surface area (1570 m(2)/g) was observed when the weight ratio of phosphoric acid to kenaf was 3:1, and the highest mesopore fraction (74%) was observed at 4:1. The carbonization yield was 45-35%, which is higher than that of commercial activated carbon. The production of porous carbon material by this method offers high potential for application because it can be controlled over a wide range of average pore diameter from 2.48 to 5.44 nm.