A MICROPOROUS CARBON PRODUCED BY ARC-EVAPORATION

A carbon soot formed by arc evaporation and activated by heating under carbon dioxide is found to have a surprisingly high internal micropore volume (> 0.25 ml g-1) and an apparent BET surface area of ca. 700 m2 g-1, a large proportion of the pores are ca. less-than-or-equal-to 5 angstrom; transmission electron microscopy shows a highly disordered microstructure, which electron irradiation readily transforms into quasi spherical concentric nanoparticles of diameter of ca. 60 angstrom, the carbon material, which is highly absorbent to methane, shows molecular sieving properties and is more inert to oxidation than other forms of high surface area carbon.