Development of monolithic porous composites using carbonized coals as block porous supports, and poly(furfuryl alcohol) and chitosan as fillers

In this study, monolithic block cokes have been used as supports to develop carbon–carbon and carbon–polymer monolithic block composites using poly(furfuryl alcohol) and chitosan as fillers. Cokes were produced from single coals and coal blends by carbonization at 950 °C. The supports and the resultant composites were characterized by means of elemental analysis (carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen—CHN), low-temperature physical adsorption of nitrogen, gas helium densitometry, electric and ultrasonic measurements. Morphology of the supports and the composites was observed using scanning electronic microscope. The supports were found to be porous carbon materials of high C content within the range of 97.6–98.5 wt%, of porous structure characterized by macropores, with low contribution of mesopores with diameters of 17–25 nm. The resultant composites were found to be porous light materials with apparent density of less than 1 g/cm³, and bulk porosity ranging from 35 to 54 %, with high stiffness evidenced by dynamic elastic moduli reaching values up to ~5 GPa. Addition of the polymers to the cokes (block supports) was found to worsen electrical properties giving the electrical conductivity values ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 S/cm for all composites studied.