Effects of Activation Conditions on Preparation of Coal Tar Pitch Based Mesoporous Activated Carbon Using Template and KOH Activation Method

Mesopores are essential to improve transport of molecules within porous network and to facilitate adsorption of larger molecules. Mesoporous activated carbons (MACs) were prepared by template synthesis and KOH activation, using modified coal tar pitch and nanosized silica as carbon precursor and imprinting template respectively. The influences of different activation conditions, including KOH/C mass ratio, activation temperature and activation time on the pore structure of MACs have been studied. The SBET, total volume and mesopore volume of the result MAC were 1356 m2/g, 0.910mL/g and 0.704 mL/g respectively, when activation conditions with KOH/C mass ratio was 3.6:1, activation temperature was 850°C and activation time was 2.0h. It is possible to control their pore structure by selecting appropriate activation conditions depending on the final application of the MACs.