The physical and structural characteristics of activated carbon material compacted using various binders (polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), and basalt fiber (BF)) were investigated. In the first stage of the study, the following were carried out: high-temperature alkaline activation of the carbon material at 400–750°C for 2 h in an inert atmosphere; compaction, including stepwise heating at 75–190°C and pressing at 1.5–7.5 kN for 3–210 min with various binders; and preparation of experimental samples by taking specimens from different parts of the blocks obtained by compaction. In the second stage, the specific surface area and porosity were determined using an Altamira Instruments Top 200 analytical system, and the sorption capacity for removal of methylene blue (MB) dye molecules was measured with a PE-5400VI spectrophotometer. The following results were obtained: for samples with PVA, PVAc and BF binders, the specific surface area was 685–1390, 570–735, and 483–532 m2/g, respectively; porosity was 0.31–0.70, 0.21–0.35, and 0.17–0.29 cm3/g, respectively; and sorption capacity was 1450–1700, 1104–1415, and 1032–1512 mg/g, respectively. A nonlinear influence of the binder components on the overall physical and structural characteristics of the materials was established, indicating the need for further studies and more careful selection of binder components for practical applications.
I.N. Shubin (Wed,) studied this question.