Effects of Nickel Impregnation on the Catalytic Removal of Nitric Oxide by Polyimide-Based Activated Carbon Fibers

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are beneficial for adsorbing harmful gases because of the well-developed micropores on their surface. Usually, the physical adsorption of harmful gases by ACFs is limited by their textural properties. In this study, the effect of nickel particle catalyst impregnation on the physicochemical removal of nitric oxide (NO) by polyimide (PI)-based ACFs (PI-ACFs) was investigated. Ni(NO(3))(2) was used as the precursor of nickel particle catalysts and impregnated on ACFs as a function of concentrations. The Ni(NO(3))(2)/ACFs were then thermally reduced in an argon atmosphere containing 4% hydrogen (400 °C, 1 h). The gases generated during heat treatment were verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the impregnation amount of metallic nickel was also calculated based on the gas amount generated. The specific surface areas of the ACF and Ni-ACFs were determined to be 1010–1180 m(2)/g, while the nickel impregnation amount was 0.85–5.28 mg/g. The NO removal capacity of the Ni-ACF was found to be enhanced with the addition of Ni catalysts. In addition, metallic nickel particles on the ACFs maintained their chemical molecular structures before and after the NO removal tests.a