Development of Activated Carbon Fibers from Wool Felts as Carbon Dioxide Adsorbents

Abstract

Abstract In this study, commercial wool felts were valorized as sustainable precursor materials for the fabrication of activated carbon fiber adsorbents aimed at carbon dioxide capture. The production process involved a sequential treatment comprising oxidative stabilization, carbonization, and chemical activation using potassium hydroxide. The structural and surface properties of the resulting activated carbon fibers were characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. The effects of carbonization temperature and KOH impregnation ratio on textural properties and carbon dioxide adsorption capacity were systematically investigated. In addition, precursor wool felts were modified with chitosan prior to thermochemical processing to assess its influence on carbon dioxide uptake performance. The developed activated carbon fibers exhibited highly microporous structures, with specific surface areas exceeding 1700 m 2 /g and dominant pore diameters below 1 nm. Under the applied testing conditions, the maximum carbon dioxide adsorption capacity reached 4.06 mmol/g. Furthermore, chitosan modification improved adsorption efficiency. These findings underscore the feasibility of utilizing wool‐based precursors for the sustainable production of high‐performance activated carbon fibers, presenting a renewable alternative to conventional fossil‐derived adsorbent materials.