In view of the activated carbon pore-forming mechanism, the fractal hypothesis of pore interior growth was proposed by optimizing the structure of Sierpinski sponge. Based on the hypothesis and the definition of fractal dimension, the function relationship between the reaction degree, reaction step length, specific surface area and pore volume was deduced, and the pore fractal growth model of activated carbon activation process was established. Semi-coke, apple charcoal and lychee charcoal were used to prepare activated carbon. The pore size distributions of the activated carbons are in accordance with the fractal growth hypothesis. Further, the reaction degree and reaction step length can be determined by the experimental data of pore and surface structure, which verified the feasibility of the pore fractal growth model.

The present study analyzed the pore formation and development process in carbon black that was activated by CO2 gas and the effect of the burn-off (BO) ratio on the process, particularly based on changes in the surface shape and internal microstructure. The activation process was performed as follows. Carbon blacks were injected into a horizontal tube furnace when the inside temperature reached 1000 °C. Carbon black samples with different BOs, i.e., 7.2%, 15.4%, 30.4%, 48.2%, 59.9%, and 83.2%, were prepared by varying the activation time. The microstructure of the activated samples was observed and examined using SEM and TEM. The results showed that pore passages were first created on the surface of the primary particles of the carbon black, and then the inner portion of the carbon black with a lower degree of crystallinity started to be activated, thereby causing inner pores to be formed. These inner pores then started to grow and coalesce into larger pores, thereby causing the crystallite layers in the inner portion of the carbon black to be activated. The changes in the microstructure of the carbon black during the activation reaction were attributable to the carbon black manufacturing process, in which the nucleation and growth of the primary particles of the carbon black occurred within a very short period of time. Thus, the crystallization of the inner portion was suppressed, and therefore, the degree of crystallinity was lower in the inner portion than in the outer portion.

The simultaneous use of KOH and nitrogen to manufacture carbon materials provides these materials with properties that the presence of only one of these additives would not give them, such as high porosity and reactivity. However, it is difficult to obtain nitrogen-doped carbon materials with both high porosity and high nitrogen content, as the KOH significantly reduces the nitrogen content. In this review the complex relationships between nitrogen content and nitrogen precursor amount, KOH amount and the activation temperature are discussed, with a focus on the different N-functional groups and the porosity of the fabricated carbons. Generally, increasing activation temperature and increasing KOH amount decrease the nitrogen content due to reactions with the N-containing substructures of carbon, resulting in the release of nitrogen as N2, HCN and other N gases. Increasing these parameters can also result in the reduction of pyridine-N while the amount of quaternary-N increases simultaneously. Besides this, an increase in the amount of nitrogen precursor leads to an increase in the porosity of N-doped materials. However, too high amounts of the nitrogen precursor generate an excess of nitrogen which blocks the pore system and consequently reduces the porosity of the doped carbons.

다양한 형태의 Polysulfone 막을 MBR공정에 적용하기 위해 제조하였다. 특히 제조공정에 있어서 여러 형태의 에테르형 알코올을 사용 도프용액에 첨가시킴으로써, 공경크기에 미치는 영향력을 조사하였다. 본 연구에서는 공경의 크기는 첨가된 첨가제의 끓는점에 의한 영향력보다는 그들 자체(첨가된 첨가제)의 분자구조에 의한 확산에 더 큰 영향력을 받고 있음을 보여주었다. 분자적으로 methoxy (CH3-O-) < secondary propanol (-CH2-CH(OH)-CH3) < ethoxy (CH3-CH2-O-)의 순으로 공경크기가 커지고 그에 따라 순수투과도 또한 커짐을 보여주었다. 이러한 현상은 첨가된 용매가 분자적으로 ether형 알코올의 bulky한 정도에 따라 공경의 형성이 다른 형태로 나타나고 있음을 보여주고 있다. 본 연구에서는 다양한 형태의 ether형 alcohol를 통하여 바라고자하는 형태(평균 pore size 0.1~0.4 μm)의 MF (microfiltration)막을 제조할 수 있었으며, MBR (membrane bio-reactor)에 적용한 결과 2달 동안 안정되게 운전되었다.

비대칭 폴리비닐리덴플루오라이드(PVDF) 막을 상전환법으로 제조하였다. 도포용액은 PVDF를 용매인 N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)와 비용매인 1,4-dioxane, diethyleneglycol dimethyl ether (DGDE), acetone, (equation omitted)-butyrolactone(GBL)의 혼합용매에 녹여서 제조한다. 여러 첨가제가 도포용액 특성, 투과특성과 막 구조에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 응고제인 물과 1,4-dioxane, DGDE, acetone과의 상용성이 NMP보다 낮아서 기공크기가 작아진다. 첨가제의 양을 조절하여 기공크기를 변화시켰다. 혼합용매(수계 및 비수계)가 막의 투과성능에 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다. 용액점도뿐만 아니라 표면장력도 용매 투과특성에 영향을 끼침을 알 수 있었다.