Preparation of Activated Carbon Using Bio-Oil Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin

High-specific surface area activated carbon with distinct pore texture was prepared using bio-oil phenol-formaldehyde (BPF) resin as the raw material and KOH as the activator for chemical activation. The carbonization process was characterized with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).The pore texture was characterized with measurements obtained by N2 adsorption analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that adding bio-oil to phenol-formaldehyde resin can partly enhance the thermal stability and improve the textural properties of activated carbon. The functional groups of BPF resin gradually disappeared in the carbonization reaction with increasing temperature. The activated carbon prepared by BPF resin with 30%wt bio-oil exhibited the optimal perfomance.