Porous texture evolution in Nomex-derived activated carbon fibers

In the present work, the textural evolution of a series of activated carbon fibers with increasing burn-off degree, prepared by the pyrolysis and steam activation of Nomex aramid fibers, is followed by measurements of physical adsorption of N(2) (77 K) and CO(2) (273 K) and immersion calorimetry into different liquids (dichloromethane, benzene, cyclohexane). The immersion calorimetry results are discussed in depth, paying special attention to the choice of the reference material. The activated carbon fibers studied possess an essentially homogeneous microporous texture, which suggests that these materials may be applied in gas separation, either directly or with additional CVD treatment.