HEAT-TREATMENT OF POLYFURFURYL ALCOHOL PREPARED BETWEEN TAENIOLITE LAMELLAE

Polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) was carbonized in a two-dimensional opening between the lamellae of taeniolite (TAEN), which is a layered clay with high crystallinity and high thermal stability. The carbon thus obtained was characterized and compared with the carbons previously prepared from montmorillonite (MONT) and saponite (SAPO). The carbon from TAEN had characteristics similar to the carbon from MONT, for example, filmlike shape, highly stacked structure of 002 planes, and high graphitizability. An attempt was made to clarify which temperature range is suitable for the formation of such carbon film in the carbonization between clay lamellae. It was found that the spatial regulation by clay lamellae is necessary up to, at least 500-degrees-C, where a buildup of condensed aromatic ring system starts in the carbonization process of PFA. The order in graphitizability among the carbons from the three kinds of clays was TAEN-carbon > MONT-carbon much greater than SAPO-carbon. The pellets prepared from the above carbons differed from one another in degree of preferred orientation and in electrical resistivity. These differences can be explained by the difference in the microstructure and crystallinity of the three clays as templates.