The disclosed method and related systems and devices relate to producing a pigment from microbial biomass. The pigment may be an engineered black pigment. The method may include a thermal processing step where the microbial biomass is charred. The biomass in the charred and pre-charred state can be washed chemically and/or mechanically. In another step the biomass is ground via a grinding of milling process. The grinding/milling may occur at any various points in the process. In some embodiments the biomass has a particle size between 0.01 and 100 microns.

The disclosed method and related systems and devices relate to producing a pigment from microbial biomass. The pigment may be an engineered black pigment. The method may include a thermal processing step where the microbial biomass is charred. The biomass in the charred and pre-charred state can be washed chemically and/or mechanically. In another step the biomass is ground via a grinding of milling process. The grinding/milling may occur at any various points in the process. In some embodiments the biomass has a particle size between 0.01 and 100 microns.

The present invention relates to a carbonaceous material having a silicon element content of less than 200 ppm, a powder conductivity of 10.0 to 22.0 S/cm, a total amount of surface functional groups of 0.22 to 0.36 meq/g, and a pore volume of 0.10 to 0.20 cm.sup.3/g in terms of pores having a pore size of not less than 4 nm as measured by a BJH method.

The present invention relates to a carbonaceous material having a silicon element content of less than 200 ppm, a powder conductivity of 10.0 to 22.0 S/cm, a total amount of surface functional groups of 0.22 to 0.36 meq/g, and a pore volume of 0.10 to 0.20 cm.sup.3/g in terms of pores having a pore size of not less than 4 nm as measured by a BJH method.

An impregnation liquid is provided, which includes (A) phenolic resin, (B) diazonaphthoquinone-based compound or a derivative thereof, (C) ionic compound, and (D) organic solvent. The weight of (A) phenolic resin and the weight of (B) diazonaphthoquinone-based compound or a derivative thereof have a ratio of 0.2:0.8 to 0.9:0.1, and the weight of (C) ionic compound and the total weight of (A) phenolic resin and (B) diazonaphthoquinone-based compound or a derivative thereof have a ratio of 0.2:1 to 1.4:1. The impregnation liquid can be used to form an activated carbon layer to wrap and to be directly in contact with the surface of a mesh.

An impregnation liquid is provided, which includes (A) phenolic resin, (B) diazonaphthoquinone-based compound or a derivative thereof, (C) ionic compound, and (D) organic solvent. The weight of (A) phenolic resin and the weight of (B) diazonaphthoquinone-based compound or a derivative thereof have a ratio of 0.2:0.8 to 0.9:0.1, and the weight of (C) ionic compound and the total weight of (A) phenolic resin and (B) diazonaphthoquinone-based compound or a derivative thereof have a ratio of 0.2:1 to 1.4:1. The impregnation liquid can be used to form an activated carbon layer to wrap and to be directly in contact with the surface of a mesh.

A solidified porous carbon material uses a plant-derived material as a raw material, a bulk density of the solidified porous carbon material is in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.3 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3. A value of a cumulative pore volume in the range of 0.05 to 5 μm in pore size based on a mercury press-in method is in the range of 0.4 to 1.2 cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.5 to 1.0 cm.sup.3 per 1 gram of the solidified porous carbon material.

A solidified porous carbon material uses a plant-derived material as a raw material, a bulk density of the solidified porous carbon material is in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.3 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3. A value of a cumulative pore volume in the range of 0.05 to 5 μm in pore size based on a mercury press-in method is in the range of 0.4 to 1.2 cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.5 to 1.0 cm.sup.3 per 1 gram of the solidified porous carbon material.

The present invention is directed to a process for the production of thermally stabilized agglomerated lignin, which avoids melting and/or significant foaming during subsequent thermal processing. The process comprises the steps of providing agglomerated lignin and heating the agglomerated lignin to obtain thermally stabilized agglomerated lignin. The thermally stabilized lignin can be further processed to a carbon enriched material.

Composite carbon particles including a porous carbon material and a silicon component, the composite carbon particle having an average aspect ratio of 1.25 or less, and a ratio (I.sub.Si/I.sub.G) of a peak intensity (I.sub.Si) in the vicinity of 470 cm.sup.−1 to a peak intensity (I.sub.G) in the vicinity of 1580 cm.sup.−1 as measured by Raman spectroscopy of 0.30 or less, wherein the porous carbon material satisfies V.sub.1/V.sub.0>0.80 and V.sub.2/V.sub.0<0.10, when a total pore volume at a maximum value of a relative pressure P/P.sub.0 is defined as V.sub.0 and P.sub.0 is a saturated vapor pressure, a cumulative pore volume at a relative pressure P/P.sub.0=0.1 is defined as V.sub.1, a cumulative pore volume at a relative pressure P/P.sub.0=10.sup.−7 is defined as V.sub.2 in a nitrogen adsorption test, and has a BET specific surface area of 800 m.sup.2/g or more.