Synthesis of highly mesoporous carbon pellets from carbon black and polymer binder by chemical activation

High surface area, highly mesoporous carbon granules in the form of pellets were prepared by first mixing a solution of polymer (phenolic resin, cellulose, or PAN) with water and a chemical reagent (NaOH or ZnCl2). Carbon black powder was then added to form a mixture, followed by molding into a pellet, drying and activating at a given temperature. The pore structures of the porous carbon binder and the resulting carbon pellets were characterized using N2 adsorption/desorption at 77 K and SEM. Chemical activation increases the BET surface area as well as the microporous and mesoporous volumes of the resulting carbon pellets. The effects of the weight ratio of the mixture and activation temperatures on the formation of pore structures of the carbon pellets were also investigated. The mesopore size and mesopore size distribution of the carbon pellets can also be adjusted by the molding pressure. SEM showed that highly mesoporous structures were formed by the free space in the aggregates and agglomerates of bonded carbon black particles.