The Significance of Lignocellulosic Raw Materials on the Pore Structure of Activated Carbons Prepared by Steam Activation

Five different lignocellulosic raw materials (coconut shells, Moso bamboo, sawtooth oak, Chinese fir, and Masson pine) were used to prepare activated carbons by steam activation at 850 °C to evaluate the effects of their structures on physical activation. The chemical compositions, botanic forms, and pore structures of the lignocellulose-based charcoal samples were systematically characterized by proximate and ultimate analyses, scanning electron microscopy, and mercury injection porosimetry. It was found that the rate of the activation reaction between charcoal and steam is determined by the porosity of the precursor. Pore structure results show that the steam activation of coconut shell and bamboo charcoals primarily produced micropores, thus yielding microporous activated carbon materials with just a few mesopores, even following a high burn-off of >66%. The steam activation of sawtooth oak charcoals produced mainly micropores at a low burn-off of <50% and both micropores and mesopores at a high burn-off of >50%. The steam activation of Chinese fir and Masson pine charcoals produced mainly mesopores at a burn-off of 0-80%. These mesopores were remarkably broadened to >20 nm on extending the activation time, resulting in a high vitamin B12 (VB12) adsorption capacity of ~530 mg/g. In conclusion, the raw lignocellulosic materials used as precursors have a decisive effect on the development of pore structures in activated carbon materials obtained through physical activation.