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SkeletonC CARBON

Common precursor materials for SkeletonC carbon are TiC, SiC, Mo2C, Al4C3 and B4C

Method for making SkeletonC

Skeleton NanoLab uses a chemical approach to make nanostructured carbons from carbon containing mineral materials, mostly carbides. Due to the well-defined location of carbon atoms in crystal lattice, carbides award the final carbon with certain pore structure and material structure depending on the precursor carbide material chosen. Skeleton NanoLab has ennobled the long-known carbide chlorination process.

MxC + xy/2 Cl2 --> xMCly + C

The nanoscale research of carbon materials through many years resulted in a well-established carbon synthesis process. Skeleton NanoLab has developed the pilot synthesis methods for scale-up.

Test samples for the carbon R&D are made in stationary bed reactors. For larger amounts, used in applied R&D, rotary kiln and fluidized bed reactor processes were developed. Skeleton researchers, through their studies and hundreds of experiments, developed the carbon making process that enables to vary the carbon pore size simply by adjusting the right synthesis parameters, like temperature, gas flow, reaction time etc. Carbon synthesis methods made it possible to produce carbon material considering the properties desired for application. By varying the conditions of removing the metal atoms from the carbide crystal lattice, Skeleton NanoLab can give requested nano access to the skeleton body of carbon particle;and this can be done without any additional modification of carbon.

Skeleton NanoLab has a general solution for environmental friendly circular process of carbon making, where halogen and carbide forming element are recycled.

SkeletonC is the skeleton key to fit the carbon properties with application needs.

SkeletonC:

 

Nanostep pore modification in SkeletonC

For fine-tuning the pore parameters, Skeleton NanoLab has developed patent protected methods for porous carbon modification. Traditional carbon modification is made by carbon surface activation. Carbide originate carbon is highly active carbon without any additional activation. However, even though the well-adjusted chlorination conditions can control pore size, there are chemical and morphological reasons limiting the choice of pore size directly from synthesis.

The pore modification method allows carbon treatment to take place in pores or inside areas where modification is wanted and leaves the rest of carbon material almost untouched. The method improves also the access to the pores. Using the nanostep modification the loss of carbon material is minimal. Nanostep modification method utilizes the SkeletonC carbon behavior to act as molecular sieve for certain molecules. Through special treatment it allows to trap the liquid modification agent into the pores or areas planned to be modified. If appropriate process parameters are applied, the modification takes place only in parts where modification agent was trapped. The method and its variations have multiple-use to microporous carbon material. A reorder for modification is determined by desired result and of course, depends on the carbon quality used. The method is very profitable for widening pore size by a step of 0.1 nm. This modification allows making porous carbon materials with very narrow pore size distribution, for instance material with more than 70% of pores in the range of 6-10 Å (0.6-1.0 nm).

Nanostep modified carbons with adjusted pore size performs well in many adsorption applications.

 

Environment

Skeleton NanoLab has always paid great attention to the sparing of the environment

When operating with a small quantity lab-scale production, all by-products of the synthesis are collected and chemically neutralized to harmless compounds, like oxides and salts.

For larger scale carbon production a circular process will be developed. Recycling the by-products of carbon synthesis is one of the solutions for the environmentally friendly and effective production technology. A general scheme is proposed for the circular process, wherein by-products and regenerated gases are used as precursors in different parts of the process.

General scheme for circular carbon production:
General scheme for circular carbon production:


Applications for SkeletonC

SkeletonC carbon materials are most suitable for adsorption applications where microporous carbon with predefined pore size and/or narrow pore size distribution is required.

Considered applications for SkeletonC carbon :

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