Characterization of the porous structure of carbon adsorbents with a wide size distribution of micropores

Abstract

Our study using the nonlocal density functional theory (NDFT) showed that active coals might have a bidisperse microporous structure. The binomial equation of the theory of volume filling of micropores (TVFM) approximates well the nitrogen adsorption isotherms at relative pressures from 1 × 10−4 to 0.2. The dominant micropore sizes calculated in terms of the characteristic adsorption energy lie in the region of the maximum of the size distribution of micropores calculated by the NDFT method. The tentative micropore sizes can be determined from the modified second term of the TVFM equation. The Henry and BET equations describe very limited regions of the nitrogen adsorption isotherm on microporous active coals.