Using polyvinyl chloride for the synthesis of porous carbon materials with controlled texture parameters

The possibility of regulation of textural parameters for porous carbon materials derived from polyvinyl chloride was evaluated. Porous carbon materials were obtained by a two-stage process including dehydrochlorination of the initial polymer under the action of alkali (KOH) and subsequent heat treatment, i.e., carbonization at 400 °C and activation at 850-900 °C. Various approaches for controlling the porous structure of the final material were used. Thus, dehydrochlorination was carried out both by action of alkali in a solution in polar organic solvent and by mechanical treatment of polymer-alkali composition. In the case of dehydrochlorination in a solution, modifying additives of carbon nanoparticles (nanoglobular carbon, graphene-like species based on graphite oxide or reduced graphite oxide) were introduced. Different gases of reductive and oxidative nature, such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor, were used for activation purpose. It was found that these approaches allow regulating the ratio of micro- and mesopores in the resulting porous carbon materials which can be used in different fields. These porous carbons are amorphous materials having a specific surface area (SBET) from 356 to 1115 m2/g, micropore volume from 0.12 to 0.39 cm3/g, and mesopore volume from 0.07 to 0.33 cm3/g.The possibility of regulation of textural parameters for porous carbon materials derived from polyvinyl chloride was evaluated. Porous carbon materials were obtained by a two-stage process including dehydrochlorination of the initial polymer under the action of alkali (KOH) and subsequent heat treatment, i.e., carbonization at 400 °C and activation at 850-900 °C. Various approaches for controlling the porous structure of the final material were used. Thus, dehydrochlorination was carried out both by action of alkali in a solution in polar organic solvent and by mechanical treatment of polymer-alkali composition. In the case of dehydrochlorination in a solution, modifying additives of carbon nanoparticles (nanoglobular carbon, graphene-like species based on graphite oxide or reduced graphite oxide) were introduced. Different gases of reductive and oxidative nature, such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor, were used for activation purpose. It was found that these approaches allow regulating the rat...