The study on the generation of porous carbonaceous microspheres from waste cotton fabric

Abstract

In this study, the porous carbonaceous microspheres (PCMs) were prepared using waste cotton fibers as precursor. The cotton fibers were first hydrolyzed and pre-carbonized through hydrothermal process, and then were heat treated at 900 °C. ZnCl₂ was used to as catalyst to promote the hydrolysis of waste cotton in hydrothermal process and as pore-forming agent in subsequent heat treatment. The pore structure of the prepared PCMs were evaluated by nitrogen adsorption/desorption test, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analysis and X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy were conducted to determine its chemical properties. Scanning electron microscope was used to observe its surface morphology. Furthermore, the formation process of PCMs is investigated.

Keywords:

• Waste cotton fabric
• porous structure
• carbonaceous microspheres

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the support of the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province of China. No. 2014011016-5.