The invention provides a method for making multiporous carbon material from a bio-oil produced by a biomass thermochemical process. The bio-oil is blended with a resin and a Zinc Oxide (ZnO) template as a major component of a precursor. The pore sizes of the carbon material made by the invention comprise mesopores and micropores to form the multiporous carbon material. The main production steps include: (1) mixing the precursor with a crusher, (2) packing the precursor, (3) heating for carbonization: holding 350 C. for 1 hour then holding 900 C. for 2 hours, and (4) washing the ZnO with hydrochloric acid by adjusting the pH value to less than 1.

The invention provides a method for making multiporous carbon material from a bio-oil produced by a biomass thermochemical process. The bio-oil is blended with a resin and a Zinc Oxide (ZnO) template as a major component of a precursor. The pore sizes of the carbon material made by the invention comprise mesopores and micropores to form the multiporous carbon material. The main production steps include: (1) mixing the precursor with a crusher, (2) packing the precursor, (3) heating for carbonization: holding 350 C. for 1 hour then holding 900 C. for 2 hours, and (4) washing the ZnO with hydrochloric acid by adjusting the pH value to less than 1.

Described herein is a method for manufacturing an activated carbon for an electrode material, the method including a step of heat-treating an activated carbon material in an atmosphere containing a chlorine-containing gas, wherein the content of metal impurities contained in the activated carbon material after the heat treating step is 0.1 to 20 ppm.

Process for further use of a water-containing carbon raw material comprising the treatment of the carbon raw material with carbon dioxide or water vapor or a mixture thereof at elevated temperature and the admixing of the thus obtained carbon material with an acid.

Process for further use of a water-containing carbon raw material comprising the treatment of the carbon raw material with carbon dioxide or water vapor or a mixture thereof at elevated temperature and the admixing of the thus obtained carbon material with an acid.

A support for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell catalyst satisfying the following requirements (A), (B), (C), and (D), and a producing method thereof, as well as a catalyst layer for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell and a fuel cell:

(A) a specific surface area according to a BET analysis of a nitrogen adsorption isotherm is from 450 to 1500 m.sup.2/g.
(B) a nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherm forms a hysteresis loop in a range of relative pressure P/P.sub.0 of more than 0.47 but not more than 0.90, and a hysteresis loop area S.sub.0.47-0.9 is from 1 to 35 mL/g;
(C) a relative pressure P.sub.close/P.sub.0 at which the hysteresis loop closes is more than 0.47 but not more than 0.70; and
(D) a half-width of a G band detected by Raman spectrometry in a range of from 1500 to 1700 cm.sup.1 is from 45 to 75 cm.sup.1.

The present invention discloses a method for the production of low ash activated charcoal from a carbon-containing raw material such as peat, in which method a damp mass of raw material is subjected to a hydrothermal carbonization process, in which the mass is heated to a temperature of 150 to 350 C and the process pressure increased to 10 to 40 bar, and the carbonized material obtained from the hydrothermal carbonization process is activated by heating it to a temperature above 400 C. The present invention further relates to the use of carbonized material obtained from the hydrothermal carbonization process for the production of activated charcoal.

Methods for a facile, template free and one-step synthesis of nanoporous carbons by using a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound as a single source precursor of both carbon and nitrogen are described. The heterocyclic aromatic organic compound contains nitrogen in pyrrolic and/or pyridinic positions and is chemically activated with NaOH, KOH or ZnCl.sub.2 at high temperatures in a solid state mixture as a synthesis protocol to promote fine micropores during carbonization. Nanoporous carbons synthesized by these methods that have superior gas sorption/storage and energy storage properties are also described. The nanoporous carbons are useful as carbon sequestration agents and supercapacitors.

Methods for a facile, template free and one-step synthesis of nanoporous carbons by using a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound as a single source precursor of both carbon and nitrogen are described. The heterocyclic aromatic organic compound contains nitrogen in pyrrolic and/or pyridinic positions and is chemically activated with NaOH, KOH or ZnCl.sub.2 at high temperatures in a solid state mixture as a synthesis protocol to promote fine micropores during carbonization. Nanoporous carbons synthesized by these methods that have superior gas sorption/storage and energy storage properties are also described. The nanoporous carbons are useful as carbon sequestration agents and supercapacitors.

Provided is an internal hybrid electrochemical cell comprising: (A) a pseudocapacitance cathode comprising a cathode active material that contains a conductive carbon material and a porphyrin compound, wherein the porphyrin compound is bonded to or supported by the carbon material to form a redox pair for pseudocapacitance, wherein the carbon material is selected from activated carbon, activated carbon black, expanded graphite flakes, exfoliated graphite worms, carbon nanotube, carbon nanofiber, carbon fiber, a combination thereof; (B) a battery-like anode comprising lithium metal, lithium metal alloy, or a prelithiated anode active material (e.g. prelithiated Si, SiO, Sn, SnO.sub.2, etc.), and (C) a lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with the anode and the cathode; wherein the cathode active material has a specific surface area no less than 100 m.sup.2/g which is in direct physical contact with the electrolyte.