SEM, XRD and FTIR analyses of both ultrasonic and heat generated activated carbon black microstructures

TLDR

The study aims to generate and classify binding or active sites on activated carbon black microparticles to improve adsorption and catalytic performance. Activated carbon black microparticles were produced by 20‑minute ultrasonic and 400 °C thermal treatments and characterized by SEM, XRD, and FTIR, with surface turns categorized into sharp, semi‑sharp, obtuse, and non‑significant types within four quadrants. The combined treatments yielded macro‑voids of 150–400 nm, nano‑scale wells, intraparticle pores of 1.84–15.98 Å, and interplanar spacings of 2.98–4.44 Å, demonstrating that the resulting unique binding sites can accommodate methyl‑red molecules within the pores.

Abstract

The microstructures of the activated carbon black microparticles (ACBMPs) generated through both treatments of 20 min ultrasonic and 400 °C thermal energy equivalent have been analyzed properly using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy methods. The research was aiming to generate binding or active sites points on the outer surface of the ACBMPs body of which commonly plays an important role in both adsorption and catalytic processes. It was observed that around 150 nm up to 400 nm in average diameter super macro voids with many various turns of nano-scale wells, and around 1.84 angstrom (Å) up to 15.98 Å intraparticle pores were generated. In addition, the parallel planes spacing of the carbonaceous framework sheets, namely dhkl in Miller indexes terminology, of about 4.44 Å up to 2.98 Å constructed the inner particles of the ACBMPs body. A new nomenclature method for the binding or active site shapes identification and classifying them into four categories based on the quadrants terminology, i.e. quadrant one (Q1), two (Q2), three (Q3) and four (Q4) is proposed. Each the quadrants contains four categories of turns types, i.e. sharp, semi sharp, obtuse and non-significant turns depending on the angle of the associated turn in radian angle, θ. Finally, it can be concluded that the combination of ultrasonic and thermal energy treatments in fabricating ACBMPs could generate binding or active site points with unique shapes as a transit terminal for any guest molecules, in this context is methyl red (MR) molecules to enter into the suitable intra-particles pores of the ACBMPs body.