Effect of Thermal and Wet Chemical Treatments on The Electrical Conductivity of Active Carbon

Abstract

Activated carbon is a weak conductor 18x10-3 Sm-1 , it's electrical conductivity could be
enhanced either by heating the specimen in an open oven to a temperature of 100 to 600 oC
,or by different wet chemical treatments including: acids, organic solvents, reducing agents,
oxidizing agents, and finally consecutive chemical treatments .The electrical conductivities
were increased compared to the untreated specimens as follow: Acids( HCl 60.3% , Nitric
55.2%. Sulfuric 48.7%,Phosphoric 41%. Acetic 15.4% ). Organic solvents( Chloroform
45.9%,Acetone 34.5%,Diethyl ether 3.1%.Cyclohexane26.3%).Reducing agents (Sodium
borohydride 57.5%, Zinc chloride/ HCl 40.9%).Hummer's Reagent 42.2% . Bromine 27.2%
. Consecutive treatments a)Solvent – Oxidizing agent –Reducing agent 70.9%.b) Solvent –
Reducing agent –Oxidizing agent 69.2 %.Heat / Air (100 oC: 9%,250 oC : 18.1%, 350 oC:
26.1%, 450 oC 36.3% , 600 oC: 45.4%Sample treated with sodium borohydride shows a
highest pore area 222.87 g m-2 compared to untreated specimen 153.76 g m-2 and that treated
with hydrochloric acid 171.27 g m-2. XRD, ATR, FT-IR and TGA techniques were
implemented to monitor structural changes induced by above mentioned treatments.