Preparation and characterization of nanoporous carbon supports on a nickel/sibunit catalyst

Abstract

A nanoporous composite carbon material was developed; this material was prepared by the synthesis of catalytic filamentous carbon (CFC) on a Ni catalyst supported onto the Sibunit carbon support. The texture characteristics (specific surface area and pore structure) of this material were studied. The effects of the conditions of supporting bivalent nickel compounds from aqueous or water-ethanol solutions in the presence of urea and the pretreatment of the parent Sibunit (oxidation and reduction) on the yield of synthesized carbon were considered. The distribution of Ni inside a Sibunit granule was studied using energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The surface morphology of the Ni/Sibunit catalyst, as well as the synthesized carbon layer, was studied by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that a maximum yield of carbon (50–60 g/(g Ni)) was obtained on the precipitation of nickel compounds from water-ethanol solutions with an ethanol concentration of 5 to 50 vol %. The preliminary surface oxidation or reduction of the parent Sibunit resulted in a considerable decrease in the yield of carbon (by a factor of 2 or more). The parent Sibunit phase occurred within the prepared nanoporous carbon material, whereas a shell formed by CFC occurred on the outside.