CARBON MATERIAL FOR SUPPORTING MICROORGANISM

PURPOSE:To obtain a carbon material having high granular strength to prevent easy collapse and useful as a carrier for microorganisms by carbonizing vegetable powder in such a manner as to form a specific porous texture having a specific pore characteristics. CONSTITUTION:Vegetable powder such as sawdust or powder of thinnings is granulated by rotating in the presence of an aqueous solution of a binder produced by dissolving a polysaccharide such as lignin in water and the granules are subjected to drying treatment and baking and carbonizing treatment to obtain the objective carbon material for supporting microorganisms. The carbon material has unique porous texture characterized by a hard carbon film covering a soft porous carbon grain skeleton produced by the carbonization of the vegetable powder. The volume of pores having pore diameter of 1-l00mum is >=1.5 cc/g, the bulk density is =200 m /g. The high-performance carbon material produced by this process has high porosity, specific surface area and granular strength to prevent easy collapse and is useful as a carrier for microorganisms.