A novel approach for biopitch-derived carbon foams: Combining mesoporous SBA-15 silica hard-templating method and chemical activation to modify the characteristics

Abstract

This research aims to develop low-cost bio-based carbon foams, one of the newest forms of carbon that can be utilized in adsorption, catalytic reactions or thermal insulation applications by recycling hornbeam sawdust. Pyrolysis, biopitch synthesis, foaming, templating, carbonization, and activation processes were integrated to convert industrial waste sawdust into carbon foam with controllable properties. A strategy was followed to determine the impact degree of the template contribution and the chemical activation on the three-dimensional hierarchically arranged porous carbon foam production by regular and homogeneous foaming of the biopitch. The feasibility of obtaining foams with high surface area, consisting of meso- and micro-porous channels and macro-porous cores, and having a self-organized hierarchical structure was investigated when SBA-15 was employed as a hard template. Carbon foams with inferior thermal conductivity (0.25 W/m.K) and high strength (>1.5 MPa) were developed that have the potential to be utilized in thermal insulation applications. In light of the characterization results, it was concluded that carbon foams could attain the standard of being thermal insulation material based on the thermal conductivity coefficient measurements, and bio-based carbon foams additionally fulfill the adsorbent or catalyst support requirements in their respective fields of application. To illustrate the modifiable nature of material properties in the production process of carbon foam, it is absolutely critical to compare the template approach and chemical activation procedures. In conclusion, by highlighting clean production actions that utilize biomass as a superior option to fossil-based raw materials, it will be possible to contribute to the design of operating circumstances that adopt sustainable environmental awareness.