Physico-Chemical nanomaterials science

The Change of Structural Parameters of Nanoporous Activated Carbons under the Influence of Ultrasonic Radiation
Ptashnyk V.V.1, Bordun I.M.2,3, Malovanyy M.S.3, Chabecki P.2, Pieshkov T.S.3
1 Lviv National Agrarian University. Vol. Velykogo str., 1, Dubliany-80381, Lviv region, Ukraine. 
E-mail: ptashnykproject@gmail.com
2 Czestochowa University of Technology. Al. Armii Krajowej, 17, Czestochowa-42-200, Poland.
3 Lviv Polytechnic National University. Bandera str., 12, Lviv-79013, Ukraine.

As the industrial production of activated carbons grows, the number of their applications also increases constantly. Carbon-based materials are now used to purify wastewater, electrochemical power industry, medicine, etc. As a result, it is especially important to study the methods that allow us to change the surface morphology and porous structure of activated carbon to determine how effective they are in practice. One of the promising reagentless methods is the using of ultrasound technologies. 
Industrially manufactured nanoporous activated carbon, branded Norit DLC30 Super and Norit DLC30 Supra, was used as the base material. Activated carbon was placed in the ultrasound device BAKU-9050 and covered with degassed distilled water to study the influence of ultrasound in cavitation mode. X-ray diffraction curves and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) spectrums of the carbon materials were obtained using the diffractometer DRON-3 in Cu Kα-emission (λ=0.1542 nm).
The investigation showed the same effect of the ultrasound treatment on the atomic and the porous structure of both materials. The small-scale decrease of interlayer distance d and an increase of graphite-like clusters sizes were observed. It was established that ultrasound treatment results in an increase of the graphitization degree of the carbon material and an increase of its density ρx. The qualitative representation of the SAXS intensity curve for the investigated carbons does not change after the ultrasound treatment of the sample. But it is assumed that the increase of the graphitization degree, and therefore the tightening of the samples, causes the increase of the mesopores ratio and the decrease of the specific volume and the surface area of pores.