Effects of hydrothermal carbonization conditions on the textural and electrical properties of activated carbons

The influence of the hydrothermal conditions used for preparing precursors was studied with respect to the properties of the resulting KOH-activated carbons (KOH-ACs). The influence of the hydrothermal temperature (180 vs. 240 °C) was only minor on the textural properties of the KOH-ACs. However, the hydrothermal conditions did affect the electrical conductivity of the KOH-ACs. A higher conductivity was observed for the ACs prepared from precursors at the higher temperature and shorter reaction time. This study highlights an overlooked relationship in-between the degree of condensation in the precursors prepared from hydrothermal carbonization and the electrical conductivity of the corresponding ACs.