Example 2
A mixture obtained by mixing 100 parts by mass of granular coal pitch having a softening point of 280° C. as an organic material with 0.9 part by mass of tris(2,4-pentanedionato)iron(III) (metal species: Fe) was fed into a melt extruder, where it was melted and mixed at a melting temperature of 320° C., and spun at a discharge rate of 16 g/min to obtain a pitch fiber. The pitch fiber was subjected to an infusibilization treatment by heating for 54 minutes, to 354° C. from ambient temperature in the air at a rate of 1 to 30° C./minute, to obtain an infusibilized pitch fiber as an activated carbon precursor. The iron (Fe) content in the activated carbon precursor was 0.11% by mass.
The activated carbon precursor was activated by conducting a heat treatment at an atmospheric temperature of 950° C. for 40 minutes, while continuously introducing a gas having a CO2 concentration of 100% by volume into an activation furnace, to obtain an activated carbon of Example 2. In the activated carbon, the pore volume A of pores with a size of 1.0 nm or less was 0.396 cc/g, the pore volume B of pores with a size of 3.0 nm or more and 3.5 nm or less was 0.016 cc/g, the iron content was 0.251% by mass, and the average fiber diameter was 13.6 μm.
Granular coal pitch having a softening point of 280° C. as an organic material was fed into a melt extruder, where it was melted and mixed at a melting temperature of 320° C., and spun at a discharge rate of 20 g/min, to obtain a pitch fiber. The pitch fiber was subjected to an infusibilization treatment by heating for 54 minutes, to 354° C. from ambient temperature in the air at a rate of 1 to 30° C./minute, to obtain an infusibilized pitch fiber as an activated carbon precursor. The iron content in the activated carbon precursor was 0% by mass.
The activated carbon precursor was activated by conducting a heat treatment at an atmospheric temperature of 875° C. for 40 minutes, while continuously introducing a gas having an H2O concentration of 100% by volume into an activation furnace, to obtain an activated carbon of Comparative Example 2. In the activated carbon, the pore volume A of pores with a size of 1.0 nm or less was 0.401 cc/g, the pore volume B of pores with a size of 3.0 nm or more and 3.5 nm or less was 0.000 cc/g, the iron content was 0% by mass, and the average fiber diameter was 16.7 μm.
