METHOD FOR PRODUCING MESOPOROUS ACTIVATED CARBON FIBER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a mesoporous activated carbon fiber by removing carbon on pore walls of an activated carbon fiber as CO, CO2or the like to make a mesoporous structure in the activated carbon fiber. SOLUTION: The mesoporous structure is formed by soaking the activated carbon fiber from the pores of which water and carbon dioxide are removed, in an oxidative chemical solution, exposing the soaked activated carbon fiber to a gas flow of a steam-containing gas in a high-temperature atmosphere to remove the carbon on the pore walls to form the mesoporous structure. An aqueous solution containing one or more kinds of a nitric acid salt, a phosphoric acid salt, a permanganic acid salt, a peroxide, a chloric acid salt and a perchloric acid salt is used as the oxidative chemical solution. In the activation treatment, the activated carbon fiber is exposed to the gas flow of the steam-containing gas in the high-temperature atmosphere of preferably 600-1,000°C. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI