Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were treated by electroless plating of CuO to improve their removal performance for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The properties of these samples(CuO@ACFs) were evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), BET and N2O chemisorption to determine the area and dispersion of metallic CuO. The removal efficiency for benzene was investigated by gas chromatography (GC). The breakthrough time of CuO@ACFs increased by approximately 120% compared to that of untreated ACFs at benzene of 100 ppm. CuO@ACFs removed 100% of the benzene in 20 h, indicating this material can be used as a removal technology for VOCs.

Silver impregnated activated carbon fibers were post-modified using hydrochloric acid. Adsorption behaviors, SEM morphologies, and functional groups for the silver impregnated ACFs were compared with those of post-modified ACFs. Adsorption isotherms were used to characterize SBET, the pore structure and volume of silver-activated carbon fibers (ACFs) before and after acid post-treatment. In order to the reveal the causes of the differences surface states after the samples were washed with hydrochloric acid, outer surface and pore structure were investigated by SEM. And the type and quality of various functional groups were studied from FT-IR spectra and Boehm titration method. Finally, the quantitative properties in silver contents were also examined by EDX spectra.

Isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber was isothermally activated in CO2 atmosphere. Structural parameters of the isotropic carbon fibers and activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The d002 and La of the carbon fibers were measured to be 4.04 a and 23.6 a and those of ACFs were 4.29 a and 22.7 a, respectively, representing less ordered through activation process. The pores in the ACFs were characterized by BET, and they showed super-high specific surface area of maximum value 3,495 m2/g from average pore size of 8.3 a at 59% burn-off. It was recognized that 8-9 a was optimum range of pore size for efficient creation of high specific surface area. The average size of the pores formed at higher temperature (1100℃) was larger than that of the pores formed at lower temperature (900℃).

Activated carbon fibers were prepared from the petroleum isotropic pitch and organometallic compounds. The metals were dispersed uniformly in the ACFs. The specific surface area and pore size distributions of metal containing ACFs were measured. The mesopores of ACFs were developed by Co, Ni, and Mn metals addition, and the catalytic reactivity of ACFs' SOx removal was increased by adding Ni and Pd metals. It was found that the mesopores did not work forthe improvement of catalytic reactivity of ACFs' SOx removal with the blank experiment using the metal removed ACFs.