Pore properties and CO2 adsorption performance of activated carbon prepared from various carbonaceous materials

In this study we prepared porous carbon samples from various carbonaceous materials, such as biomass and coal, and evaluated their CO2 adsorption performance. We first prepared activated carbon samples by heat treatment of the carbonaceous materials with a mixture of melamine as a nitrogen source and K2CO3 as a chemical activator. We then investigated their pore properties in detail and tested the CO2 adsorption performance of the prepared activated carbon samples. We found that activated carbon with well-developed pores could be prepared using materials with low carbon and ash content. Significant correlation was found among the specific surface area (SSA: 1840–2640 m2/g), micropore (0.85–1.46 cm3/g) volume, and CO2 adsorption of the prepared activated carbon samples, indicating that the SSA and micropore volume affected the CO2 adsorption performance (400–530 mg/g). Based on these results, we devised guidelines for producing activated carbon with high CO2 adsorption performance.