NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF FLEXIBLE CARBON SPONGES

Tung Pham Ngoc

Suppervisors: - Prof. Jyri-Pekka Mikkola - Prof. Krisztian Kordas - William Larsson

Department of Chemistry

Umeå University

• Outline:

Introduction

Aim of the project

Experimental part

Results

Conclusion

Carbon materials

• Activated carbon

J. S. Im, J. Yun, S. C. Kang, S. K. Lee and Y.-S. Lee, Applied Surface Science 2012, 258, 2749-2756

http://www.exportersindia.com/active-char/products.htm?slno=347488

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-overstocked-aquarium.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon

Not only activated carbon..

H. Sun, Z. Xu and C. Gao, Advanced Materials 2013

- Carbon nanotubes. - Graphene. - 3D carbon structure

http://inhabitat.com/thermopower-wavesmit-scientists-discover-new-way-to-produce-electricity/

http://www.quirkyscience.com/graphene-isolation-characterization-application-and-production/

D. P. Hashim, N. T. Narayanan, J. M. Romo-Herrera, D. A. Cullen, M. G. Hahm, P. Lezzi, J. R. Suttle, D. Kelkhoff, E. Muñoz-Sandoval and S. Ganguli, Scientific reports 2012, 2

• BT foam, a material based on a thermoset resin.

• It has:

– Light weight.

– Open cell foam (more than 99% empty)

– Relatively cheap

• BT is mainly used in heat and noise insulation.

Starting material

Aim of the project

• Our aims:

– Create a multi-purpose product:

• Can be used as an adsorbent to remove contaminants from water (such as spill oil).

• Carrier for metal catalyst.

• Framework for the ’Artificial Leaf’

• Other electronic devices (will soon be tested ...)

• Other applications...

Courtesy Chris Wilkins/AFP/Getty Images

http://www.gettyimages.com/

Experimental part • The BT samples were subject to different pyrolysis

temperatures (600, 650, 700, 750 and 800 0C) to explore the characteristics of the material after the treatment.

• The optimized activation conditions chosen was 800 0C

• Oil adsorption test was performed by putting a drop of curde oil in water and the hydrophobic version (can float on water) was used to adsorb the oil

• The oil adsorption capability was conducted as in ref. (1)

(1) Hashim, D. P.; Narayanan, N. T.; Romo-Herrera, J. M.; Cullen, D. A.; Hahm, M. G.; Lezzi, P.; Suttle, J. R.; Kelkhoff, D.; Muñoz-Sandoval, E.; Ganguli, S.; Roy, A. K.; Smith, D. J.; Vajtai, R.; Sumpter, B. G.; Meunier, V.; Terrones, H.; Terrones, M.; Ajayan, P. M. Sci. Rep. 2012, 2.

Carbonization conditions

• Temperature ramp: 1 0C/min.

• Nitrogen atsmosphere: 50 ml/min.

• Carbonization time: 1 hour at the highest

temperature.

Activation conditions • Initiated imidiately after the carbonization

step was concluded

• Activation temperature: 800 0C

• Activation time: 2 hours

• Nitrogen: 50 ml/min

• CO2 (2%): 1 ml/min

Results • After pyrolysis and activated at choosen

condition, the samples were reduced in size and weight but were are still soft and flexible

• This implicates superior mechanical strength compared to usually optained brittle materials

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

600 650 700 750 800

%

Sample’s shrinkage after pyrolysis

Length loss

Weight loss

Pyrolysis temperature, 0C

SEM- 1K of Magnification

Starting material 600 0C

800 0C Activated sample

SEM-10K of Magnification

600 0C

800 0C Activated sample

Starting material

XPS results

0,0

10,0

20,0

30,0

40,0

50,0

60,0

70,0

80,0

Starting material 600 650 700 750 800

%

Elemental compositions C

N

O

Na

Pyrolysis temperature, 0C

4 4 4 3 2 4

332

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Startingmaterial

600 650 700 750 800 Activatedsample

m2

/g

BET results

Activated sample

TEM image of activated sample

- After activation the sample has high surface area thus it is ready to serve e.g. as a carrier for metal catalysts

Oil adsorption experiment

Sample

Crude oil

Water

• Using the sample which was pyrolysed at 600 Deg.C to adsorp the crude oil on water

• The oil adsortion capability of the sample is up to 70-80 times of its weight • The material can be reused after the oil adsoportion test by burning the oil

from the sample or squeezing to remove the oil from the sample by physical force

Conclusions • We have an interesting material which can be

used for various purposes.

• It has some advatages such as:

– Cheap material:

• Think a about the price of the starting material which we can use not only as ’of the factory self’ but also as used BT foam (e.g. construction waste)

• Simple treatment process

Conclusions

– We can create the final products in any size (limited by the size of furnace) and shapes which has been identified.

Future work

• Additional measurement

– Measure the contact angle, electrical conductivity, etc. ... of the material

– Application in ’Artificial Leaf’ devices

– Catalytic tests after the deposition of metal catalysts on the surface

– and more....

Acknowledgments

– Prof. Jyri-Pekka Mikkola

– Prof. Krisztian Kordas

– Prof. Knut Irgum

– Nordic ChemQuest AB

– Ajaikumar Samikannu

Thank you for listening