Waste polyvinylchloride derived pitch as a precursor to develop carbon fibers and activated carbon fibers.
Polyvinylchloride (PVC) was successfully recycled through the solvent extraction from waste pipe with an extraction yield of ca. 86%. The extracted PVC was pyrolyzed by a two-stage process (260 and 410 degrees C) to obtain free-chlorine PVC based pitch through an effective removal of chlorine from PVC during the heat-treatment. As-prepared pitch (softening point: 220 degrees C) was spun, stabilized, carbonized into carbon fibers (CFs), and further activated into activated carbon fibers (ACFs) in a flow of CO2. As-prepared CFs show comparable mechanical properties to commercial CFs, whose maximum tensile strength and modulus are 862 MPa and 62 GPa, respectively. The resultant ACFs exhibit a high surface area of 1200 m2/g, narrow pore size distribution and a low oxygen content of 3%. The study provides an effective insight to recycle PVC from waste PVC and develop a carbon precursor for high performance carbon materials such as CFs and ACFs.
Qiao
W M
WM
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. qiaowm@ecust.edu.cn
Yoon
S H
SH
Mochida
I
I
Yang
J H
JH
D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D002713:Chlorine / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006358:Hot Temperature; D019563:Mechanics; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride / Q000737:chemistry*; D012037:Refuse Disposal
D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D002713:Chlorine; D002244:Carbon; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride