Eduardo Vilaplana-Ortego

Activated carbon fibre monoliths

Abstract Activated carbon fibre monoliths were prepared by physical activation of carbon fibre monoliths derived from two kinds of pitch-based carbon fibre (CF) (carbon fibres from a coal tar pitch and carbon fibres derived from a petroleum pitch). The monoliths were conformed using a coal tar pitch binder. The carbon fibre monoliths and the activated carbon fibre monoliths were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and gas adsorption (i.e. N 2 at 77 K and CO 2 at 273 K). The results obtained reveal that monoliths perform a good activation process that produce a quite high development of microporosity (BET surface areas around 2600 m 2 /g and N 2 micropore volume of 1.23 cm 3 /g). On the other hand, it is remarkable that the activation process used allow to easily control the degree of activation and hence to select the adsorption capacities of the activated carbon fibre monoliths.

Stabilisation of low softening point petroleum pitch fibres by HNO3

Abstract This paper deals with the stabilisation of low softening point pitch fibres obtained from petroleum pitches using HNO3 as oxidising agent. This method presents some advantages compared with conventional methods: pitches with low softening point (SP) can be used to prepare carbon fibres (CF), the stabilisation time has been reduced, the CF yields are similar to those obtained after general methods of stabilisation, and the initial treatments to increase SP when low SP pitches are used to prepare CF, are avoided. The parent pitches were characterised by different techniques such as diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), elemental analysis and solvent extraction with toluene and quinoline. The interaction between HNO3 and the pitch fibres, as well as the changes occurring during the heat treatment, have been followed by DRIFTS.