• Carbon letters
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.236-242
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• 2012

Poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDC)-derived nanoporous carbons were prepared by various activation methods: heat-treatment under an inert atmosphere, steam activation, and potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation at 873, 1073, and 1273 K. The pore structures of PVDC-derived nanoporous carbons were characterized by the $N_2$ adsorption technique at 77 K. Heat treatment in an inert atmosphere increased the specific surface area and micropore volume with elevating temperature, while the average micropore width near 0.65 nm was not significantly changed, reflecting the characteristic pore structure of ultramicroporous carbon. Steam activation for PVDC at 873 and 1073 K also yielded ultramicroporosity. On the other hand, the steam activated sample at 1273 K had a wider average micropore width of 1.48 nm, correlating with a supermicropore. The KOH activation increased the micropore volume with elevating temperature, which is accompanied by enlargement of the average micropore width from 0.67 to 1.12 nm. The average pore widths of KOH-activated samples were strongly governed by the activation temperature. We expect that these approaches can be utilized to simply control the porosity of PVDC-derived nanoporous carbons.

• Carbon letters
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2000

Naphtha cracking bottom oil was reformed with heat treatment and then spun at $310^{\circ}C$. These pitch-based carbon fibers were carbonized at $1000^{\circ}C$ after oxidation at $280^{\circ}C$, for 90 min. These fibers were chemically activated with molar ratio of KOH/CF (1 : 1) at different temperatures ($250{\sim}900^{\circ}C$) for 1 hr. The process of activation was characterized with DTA, TGA, BET surface area and pore size distribution. The activation of fibers by KOH was performed by several process. One is the reduction process that carbon fiber was reacted with $K_2O$ produced from dehydration process above $400^{\circ}C$. The other is the process that $K_2CO_3$ was directly reacted with carbon fiber. At $800^{\circ}C$, the activation was performed by catalyzed mechanism that $K_2O$ was obtained from the reaction of metal potassium with $CO_2$, then was changed to $K_2CO_3$. At $870^{\circ}C$, the activation was also observed that activation mechanism was promoted by metal catalyst with $CO_2$ from decomposition of $K_2CO_3$. The specific surface area of prepared activated carbon fibers was dependent on the activation mechanism. The specific surface area was in the range of $1519{\sim}2000\;cm^3/g$ and was the largest prepared at $870^{\circ}C$. The pores developed were mostly micropores which was very narrow and uniform. The total pore volume was $0.58{\sim}0.77\;cm^3/g$.

• Carbon letters
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-108
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• 2001

In this work, the activated carbons (ACs) with high micropores were synthesized from the polystyrene (PS) with KOH as activating agent. And the influence of activation temperature on porosity of the ACs studied was investigated. The porous structures of ACs were characterized by nitrogen adsorption at 77K using BET and D-R equations, and MP and BJH methods. The weight loss behaviors of the samples impregnated with KOH were also monitored using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). As a result, it was found that the samples could be successfully converted into ACs with well-developed micropores. From the results of pore size analysis, it was confirmed that elevated activation temperature does lead to the formation and deepening of microstructures without significant change in mesostructures. A thermogravimetric study showed that KOH could suppress the thermal decomposition of the sample, resulting in the increase of carbon yields.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.63-71
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• 2017

In this study, washing parameters such as washing time, agitation velocity, and cycles were optimized for high surface area of the activated carbon (AC) by KOH activation. Even though AC with high surface area showed at higher washing efficiency, over 90% on washing efficiency was regulated by the intra-particle diffusion due to high tortuosity of the pore structures on AC. In addition, we can obtain $K_2CO_3$ through the evaporation from the wastewater and use it for chemical activation of AC. The AC with $K_2CO_3$ activation has specific surface area values of $2,219m^2/g$ equally that of KOH activation. Considering that $K_2CO_3$ is an effective alternative as a KOH, our results demonstrated that the process by recycling wastewater on AC production could be applicable for near-zero wastes.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.391-399
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• 2023

Recently, low-temperature pyrolysis technology has been studied as a recycling method for waste plastic. Low-temperature pyrolysis technology for waste plastic produces pyrolysis oil that can be used as an energy resource, but solid residue remains. Waste plastic pyrolysis residues are mostly landfilled due to their limited use. In this study, it is investigated that mixed waste plastic pyrolysis residues could be recycled into activated carbon. It was confirmed that the fixed carbon content of the residue was 33.69 % from proximate Analysis. Chemical activation was used to manufacture activated carbon. KOH was used as an activator. To investigate the effect of the mixing ratio of KOH and residue, samples were mixed at ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0. The mixed sample was chemically activated at an activation temperature of 800 ℃ for 1 hour. As a result of analyzing the characteristics of activated carbon through BET, it was confirmed that the specific surface area increased as the mixing ratio of KOH increased.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.161-171
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• 1997

$AB_2$ type Zr-based Laves phase alloys have been studied for potential application as negative electrode in Ni/MH batteries. However, They have a serious disadvantage of poor activation behavior in KOH solution. In this work, a new method of alloy design method was tried for improving Zr-based alloy activation. this method has focused on phase controlling to make multi-phase microstructure. In the case of multi-phase Zr-V-Mn-Ni shows good performance in activation, but activation mechanism has not been known. So, we were in search of elucidating this mechanism, Using morphological and electrochemical analysis, we could find that surface morphology and electocatalytic activity of the alloy change during immersion in KOH solution. V-rich second phases are selectively corroded and dissolved and then become Ni-rich phases. Resulting from these surface reaction in KOH solution, self-hydrogen charging occurs through Ni-rich phase. However, the alloy has poor cyclic durability because of such a corrosion mechanism. Therefore, finally we developed durable alloys by substitution of other alloying element.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.468-474
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• 2003

Activated carbon fibers were prepared from stabilized PAN fibers by physical and chemical activation to compare their characteristics. In this study, stabilized PAN fibers were activated by physical activation with steam and CO$_2$, and by chemical activation with KOH. The fabricated activated carbon fibers were evaluated and compared such as specific surface area, pore size distribution, pore volume, and amount of iodine adsorption. In the steam activation, a specific surface area of 1635 m$^2$/g was obtained after heat treatment at 990$^{\circ}C$. Otherwise, in the CO$_2$ activation, produced activated carbon fibers had been a specific surface area of 671 m$^2$/g after heat treatment at 990$^{\circ}C$. In chemical activation using KOH, a specific surface area of 3179 m$^2$/g was obtained with a KOH/ stabilized PAN fiber ratio of 1.5 : 1 at 900$^{\circ}C$. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms for fabricated activated carbon fibers showed type I and transformation from type I and II in the Brunauer-Deming-Deming-Teller (B.D.D.T) classification. Increasing specific surface area Increased the amount of iodine adsorption in both activation methods. Because the ionic radius of iodine was smaller than the interior micropore size of activated carbon fibers.

• Carbon letters
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• v.19
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• pp.99-103
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• 2016

Porous carbons have attracted much attention for their novel application in gas storage. In this study, porous graphite nano-fiber (PGNFs)-based graphite nano fibers (GNFs) were prepared by KOH activation to act as adsorbents. The GNFs were activated with KOH by changing the GNF/KOH weight ratio from 0 through 5 at 900℃. The effects of the GNF/KOH weight ratios on the pore structures were also addressed with scanning electron microscope and N₂ adsorption/desorption measurements. We found that the activated GNFs exhibited a gradual increase of CO₂ adsorption capacity at CK-3 and then decreased to CK-5, as determined by CO₂ adsorption isotherms. CK-3 had the narrowest micropore size distribution (0.6–0.78 nm) among the treated GNFs. Therefore, KOH activation was not only a significant method for developing a suitable pore-size distribution for gas adsorption, but also increased CO₂ adsorption capacity as well. The study indicated that the sample prepared with a weight ratio of ‘3’ showed the best CO₂ adsorption capacity (70.8 mg/g) as determined by CO₂ adsorption isotherms at 298 K and 1 bar.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 2012

In this study, a mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) activated using KOH was applied to the adsorption of formaldehyde, a representative indoor air pollutant. Activation process was carried out by putting KOH-treated CMK-3 in a reactor maintained at $700^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ atmosphere. The activated sample was characterized using BET, XRD, XPS and FT-IR analysis. The formaldehyde adsorption performance of the mesoporous carbon was improved, which is attributed to the formation of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups on the mesoporous carbon surface by the activation process.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2014

The process parameter in optimized KOH alkali activation of soft carbon series coke material in high purity was set with DOE experiments design. The activated carbon was produced by performing the activation process based on the set process parameters. The specific surface area was measured and pore size was analyzed by $N_2$ absorption method for the produced activated carbon. The surface functional group was analyzed by Boehm method and metal impurities were analyzed by XRF method. The specific surface area was increased over 2,000 $m^2/g$ as the mixing ratio of activation agent increased. The micro pores in $5{\sim}15{\AA}$ and surface functional group under 0.4 meq/g were obtained. The contents of the metal impurity in activated carbon which is the factor for reducing the electrochemical characteristics was reduced less than 100 ppm through the cleansing process optimization. The electrochemical characteristics of activated carbon in 38.5 F/g and 26.6 F/cc were checked through the impedance measuring with cyclic voltammetry scan rate in 50~300 mV/s and frequency in 10 mHz ~100 kHz. The activated carbon was made in the optimized activation process conditions of activation time in 40 minutes, mixing ratio of activation agent in 4.5 : 1.0 and heat treatment temperature over $650^{\circ}C$.