Effects of activation agents and intrinsic minerals on pore development in activated carbons derived from a Canadian peat

Activated carbons (ACs) with very high specific surface areas up to approximately 900 m2/g and total pore volume up to 0.5 cm3/g were produced from a Canadian peat through chemical activation using either H3PO4 or ZnCl2 as the activation agent, followed by activation/carbonization in air at 450 °C for 45 min. ZnCl2 was found to be more effective for developing microporous structures in the ACs, while H3PO4 is more efficient in developing the mesopores. Demineralization of the AC precursor to remove intrinsic minerals greatly affected the development of pore structures during the activation process. The AC derived from the demineralized peat activated by ZnCl2 attained the highest BET surface area with significantly increased micro-/mesopores.