Effects of fiber diameter and CO2 activation temperature on the pore characteristics of polyacrylonitrile based activated carbon nanofibers

The effects of fiber diameter and activation temperature on the pore characteristics of polyacrylonitrile based activated carbon nanofibers are investigated. It was found that lower fiber diameters as well as higher activation temperatures lead to a higher weight loss, specific surface area and total pore volume. The nitrogen adsorption capacity of activated carbon nanofibers is almost three times that of activated carbon fiber with a diameter of 10 gm. As far as the size of pores in activated carbon nanofibers is concerned, it is basically the micropores that dominate the scene. Moreover, tailoring the pore characteristics by adjusting the activation temperature and fiber diameter is plausible. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.