MOLDABLE AND MACHINABLE POROUS CARBON STRUCTURES OBTAINED FROM WHEY

A new porous carbon structures made by sintering whey powder in a mold at 150ºC and subsequent carbonization and/or activation are described. These porous carbon structures represent a step beyond simple activated carbon monoliths, as they can take the shape of any mold and machined if necessary. These carbon materials have a porosity that can reach up 70%, made up of a system of hierarchical and interconnected pores, which gives them a high permeability. Furthermore, they have a much higher mechanical strength than other porous carbon monoliths. Key Words: carbon structures, monoliths, porous carbon, activated carbon, machining, sintering, whey, whey powder.

Acid Mesoporous Carbon Monoliths from Lignocellulosic Biomass Waste for Methanol Dehydration

Activated carbon monoliths (ACMs), with 25 cells/cm2, were prepared from the direct extrusion of Alcell, Kraft lignin and olives stones particles that were impregnated with phosphoric acid, followed by activation at 700 °C. These ACMs were used as catalysts for methanol dehydration reaction under air atmosphere. ACM that was prepared from olive stone and at impregnation ratio of 2, OS2, showed the highest catalytic activity, with a methanol conversion of 75%, a selectivity to dimethyl ether (DME) higher than 90%, and a great stability under the operating conditions studied. The results suggest that the monolithic conformation, with a density channel of 25 cells/cm2 avoid the blockage of active sites by coke deposition to a large extent. Methanol conversion for OS2 was reduced to 29% in the presence of 8%v water, at 350 °C, although the selectivity to DME remained higher than 86%. A kinetic model of methanol dehydration in the presence of air was developed, while taking into account the competitive adsorption of water. A Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, whose rate-limiting step was the surface reaction between two adsorbed methanol molecules, represented the experimental data under the conditions studied very well. An activation energy value of 92 kJ/mol for methanol dehydration reaction and adsorption enthalpies for methanol and water of −12 and −35 kJ/mol, respectively, were obtained.

Meso- and microporous carbon electrode and its effect on the capacitive, energy and power properties of supercapacitor

Activated carbon monoliths (ACMs) with average pore diameters in the meso- and micropore regions were successfully produced from biomass material. ACM synthesis uses chemical activation with KOH and ZnCl₂ activating agents. The carbon and activating agent mass ratios were 1:1, 1:3, 1:5 and 1:7. Both activating materials produced an ACM with an average pore diameter of 3.2 nm. The specific capacitance, specific surface area, energy and power were as high as 63 F/g, 650 m²/g, and 0.23 Wh/kg for KOH and 73 F/g, and 522 m²/g, and 19 W/kg for ZnCl₂ activating agents, respectively. For comparison, we also studied the physical and electrochemical properties of ACM with an average pore size in the micropore range from the same raw material.