PRODUCTION OF MOLECULAR-SIEVING CARBON THROUGH CARBONIZATION OF COAL MODIFIED BY ORGANIC ADDITIVES

A new method was presented for producing molecular sieving carbon (MSC) from coal. Finely ground coal particles were mixed with coal tar pitch, phenol and formaldehyde at 95-degrees-C to be agglomerated through the formation of phenol-formaldehyde resin. Then the agglomerated particles were solely carbonized in an inert atmosphere to produce chars. The chars thus prepared have pore structure different from that of the chars prepared from the original coal. By changing the carbonization temperature and the mixing ratio of coal, pitch, phenol, and formaldehyde, we could prepare several kinds of molecular sieving carbons with sharp pore distributions around 0.35 nm in diameter. One of the MSCs thus produced is expected to be used successfully for the production of nitrogen from air by the pressure swing adsorption process.