Thermoplastic features, high carbon content, low ash level, and abundant phenolic chemical content of biopitch have made it a suitable precursor for carbonaceous materials. The present study aimed to investigate the utilization of a previously untested soft template-assisted foaming technique in the fabrication of biopitch-based carbon foam that provided brightness to the research in the literature. The hornbeam sawdust pitch-based carbon foams were formed by incorporating the non-ionic surfactant P123 into the synthesis solution. The research focused on understanding the effects of the foaming technique (conventional or template-assisted), template ratio, and chemical activation on the foam’s physical, chemical, and mechanical properties via several analytical and characterization test methods. Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses were performed to characterize the pore structures and carbon hybridization types, deducing highly aligned graphitic-like structures. Moreover, the mechanical strength of carbon foam was also enhanced via soft-template addition before foaming and diminished after chemical activation. The highest mechanical strength of 9.79 MPa with suitable thermal conductivity of 0.044 W/m.K and the lowest porosity of 71.41 % were attained when the template amount was 1 wt%. Surface areas of activated carbon foams ranged from 92.3 to 1121.2 m²/g. Accordingly, the adjustable pore structures of the developed materials allowed them to be considered promising adsorbents according to the need to remove pollutants of different sizes. The results obtained from the study will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the soft template-assisted foaming technique in high-quality and hierarchically arranged graphitic carbon foam production and its potential applications in thermal insulation.

中文翻译：

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软模板辅助发泡技术对生物沥青基多孔碳泡沫特性的影响


生物沥青的热塑性特性、高碳含量、低灰分和丰富的酚醛化学含量使其成为碳质材料的合适前驱体。本研究旨在调查以前未经测试的软模板辅助发泡技术在制造基于生物沥青的碳泡沫中的利用，该技术为文献中的研究提供了亮度。通过将非离子表面活性剂 P123 掺入合成溶液中，形成鹅耳枥木屑沥青基碳泡沫。该研究的重点是通过几种分析和表征测试方法了解发泡技术（传统或模板辅助）、模板比例和化学活化对泡沫物理、化学和机械性能的影响。进行拉曼光谱、扫描和透射电子显微镜分析以表征孔隙结构和碳杂化类型，推断出高度排列的石墨状结构。此外，泡沫炭的机械强度也通过在发泡前添加软模板而增强，并在化学活化后减弱。当模板用量为 1 wt% 时，达到 9.79 MPa 的最高机械强度和 0.044 W/m.K 的合适导热系数和 71.41% 的最低孔隙率。活性炭泡沫的表面积范围为 92.3 至 1121.2 m²/g。因此，根据去除不同大小污染物的需要，所开发材料的可调节孔结构使其被认为是有前途的吸附剂。 从该研究中获得的结果将为软模板辅助发泡技术在高质量和分层排列的石墨泡沫碳生产中的有效性及其在隔热中的潜在应用提供有价值的见解。