Processing of porous carbon with tunable pore structure by the carbide-derived carbon method

Biomorphic TiC ceramics were covered with highly porous carbon, so-called carbide-derived carbon (CDC), by selective etching of Ti with chlorine in a temperature range between 400° C and 1,200°C. Microporous carbon with narrow pore size distribution was obtained at temperature ranging from 400°C to 800°C. Chlorination at higher temperatures leads to formation of mesopores because of increased degree of order of the obtained CDC. A higher etching rate as well as higher degree of order at lower reaction temperature was observed if a catalytically active metal like Fe or Ru was presented during the chlorination process. This is associated with an increased amount of mesopores and with a decrease in specific surface area. Therefore, the CDC processing in the presence of a catalyst offers another way to produce ordered carbon structures at lower temperatures.