Abstract
Characterization of porous materials is essential for predicting and modeling their adsorption performance, strength, and durability. However, studies on the optimization of the pore structure to efficiently remove pollutants in the atmosphere by physical adsorption of construction materials have been insufficient. This study investigated the pore structure characteristics of foam composites. Porous foam composites were fabricated using foam composite with high porosity, open pores, and palm shell active carbon with micropores. The content was substituted 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by volume of cement. From the measured nitrogen adsorption isotherm, the pore structure of the foam composite was analyzed using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) theory, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) analysis, and Harkins-jura adsorption isotherms. From the analysis results, it was found that activated carbon increases the specific surface area and micropore volume of the foam composite. The specific surface area and micropore volume of the foam composite containing 15% activated carbon were 106.48 m2/g and 29.80 cm3/g, respectively, which were the highest values obtained in this study. A foam composite with a high micropore volume was found to be effective for the adsorption of air pollutants.
Highlights
Air and water pollution issues directly affect our lives and are becoming increasingly significant worldwide with every passing year
In 2016, air pollutant emissions amounted to 1248 thousand tons of NOx, 359 thousand tons of SOx, 1024 thousand tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and 795 thousand tons of CO [1]
In order to analyze the macropores of the foam composite, the surface was polished with fine sandpaper, and optical microscope images of the foam composite cross section were taken
Summary
Air and water pollution issues directly affect our lives and are becoming increasingly significant worldwide with every passing year. Adsorbents for removing contaminants generally use a porous material, with various types of activated carbon being widely used. Activated carbon is a porous material, has a high specific surface area, and is an adsorbent with excellent physical and chemical stability. The MIP measurement has the disadvantage that its accuracy can decrease if there are ink-bottle pores present and there is a possibility of pore destruction by high pressure [9]. It has the advantage of being able to measure a wide range of pore sizes with relatively ease [10]. Based on the amount of gas adsorbed, the interior surface area of the pores can be Materials 2020, 13, 4038; doi:10.3390/ma13184038 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials
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