Title:Novel Carbonaceous Nanomaterials from Waste Polymers
VOLUME: 1 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Leszek Czepirski, Jakub Szczurowski, Mieczysław Bałys, Grzegorz Makomaski, Janusz Zieliński and Wiesława Ciesińska
Affiliation:AGH-University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Energy and Fuels, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland.
Keywords:Pitch/polymer composites, waste polymers, nanoporous carbon, carbonization, activation, adsorption, textural
properties, surface properties.
Abstract:Background: Carbonaceous nanomaterials (activated carbons, carbon molecular sieves, activated
carbon fibers) are amorphous solids consisting of micro crystallites with a graphite lattice. They
differ from graphite by having a random imperfect structure which is highly porous over a broad range
of pore sizes, as well as various surface functional groups. They are most often produced from natural
feed stocks, such as hard coal, lignite, wood, peat, stones, and peels of the fruits by carbonization and
activation.
Methods: Many investigations have been performed to explore polymers as raw materials, and to optimize
the preparation conditions, and to obtain nanomaterials with the desired porous properties.
Results: The possibility to use the composites of coal-tar pitch modified with different types of waste
polymers for the preparation of carbonaceous nanomaterials was studied. The influence of polymeric
precursor, the mass ratio pitch/polymer, carbonization and activation conditions, type of activation
agent used, on the porous texture were investigated. The surface functional groups were also determined.
Conclusion: Composites of coal-tar pitch and polymer waste can be converted to nanoporous carbonaceous
adsorbents. These results allow to devise processes for a proper utilization of polymeric wastes,
which is a very important issue both for economy and ecology.
