In this study, pitch crosslinked by oxygen function groups was made into activated carbon (AC) and pore structure was observed. The oxygen functional groups were introduced by the addition of waste PET for pitch synthesis. Activation agent ratios used to obtain the AC during the activation process were 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 (pitch:KOH, w/w). The oxygen content in the prepared pitch was characterized by elemental analysis. Also, the molecular weight of pitch was investigated by MALDITOF. Specific surface area and micropore volume of the prepared AC were determined by the argon adsorption–desorption analysis and calculated using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and Horvath–Kawazoe equations, respectively. Micropore fraction of PET-free AC was smaller than that of PET-added AC. At high activation agent ratio, mesopores were created when the micropore structure collapsed. However, in the PET-added AC, due to the oxygen crosslinking effect, the micropore structure and micropore size were maintained even at a high activation agent ratio. Therefore, PET AC was found to have a higher micropore fraction than that of PET-free AC.

Micropore-structured activated carbon prepared by waste PETpetroleum-based pitch
    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Methods
            2.1.1 Pitch raw material and manufacturing method
            2.1.2 Activated carbon manufacturing method
        2.2 Characterization
            2.2.1 Elemental analysis of the prepared pitch
            2.2.2 Molecular weight of the prepared pitch
            2.2.3 Thermal properties of the prepared pitch
            2.2.4 Ar isothermal adsorption–desorption characteristics of AC
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Effect of PET addition during pitch synthesis
        3.2 Effect of the addition of PET on the prepared pitch
        3.3 Molecular analysis of the prepared pitch
        3.4 Preparation of activated carbon
            3.4.1 Effect of activation agent ratio
            3.4.2 Argon adsorption–desorption isotherm
    4 Conclusion
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Sang Wan Seo(Carbon Industry Frontier Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)/Department of Applied Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University)
• Yun Jeong Choi(Carbon Industry Frontier Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)/Department of Applied Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University)
• Ji Hong Kim(Carbon Industry Frontier Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)/Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University)
• Jong Hoon Cho(Carbon Industry Frontier Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)/Department of Applied Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University)
• Young‑Seak Lee(Department of Applied Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University)
• Ji Sun Im(Carbon Industry Frontier Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)/Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST))