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.

A method of producing a porous carbon is provided that can change type of functional groups, amount of functional groups, or ratio of functional groups while inhibiting its pore structure from changing. A method of producing a porous carbon includes: a first step of carbonizing a material containing a carbon source and a template source, to prepare a carbonized product; and a second step of immersing the carbonized product into a template removing solution, to remove a template from the carbonized product, and the method is characterized by changing at least two or more of the following conditions: type of the material, ratio of the carbon source and the template source, size of the template, and type of the template removal solution, to thereby control type, amount, or ratio of functional groups that are present in the porous carbon.

A method of producing a porous carbon is provided that can change type of functional groups, amount of functional groups, or ratio of functional groups while inhibiting its pore structure from changing. A method of producing a porous carbon includes: a first step of carbonizing a material containing a carbon source and a template source, to prepare a carbonized product; and a second step of immersing the carbonized product into a template removing solution, to remove a template from the carbonized product, and the method is characterized by changing at least two or more of the following conditions: type of the material, ratio of the carbon source and the template source, size of the template, and type of the template removal solution, to thereby control type, amount, or ratio of functional groups that are present in the porous carbon.

The present invention relates to composite particles containing silicon and carbon, wherein a domain size region of vacancies of 2 nm or less is 44% by volume or more and 70% by volume or less when volume distribution information of domain sizes obtained by fitting a small-angle X-ray scattering spectrum of the composite particles with a spherical model in a carbon-vacancy binary system is accumulated in ascending order, and a true density calculated by dry density measurement by a constant volume expansion method using helium gas is 1.80 g/cm.sup.3 or more and 2.20 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

The present invention relates to composite particles containing silicon and carbon, wherein a domain size region of vacancies of 2 nm or less is 44% by volume or more and 70% by volume or less when volume distribution information of domain sizes obtained by fitting a small-angle X-ray scattering spectrum of the composite particles with a spherical model in a carbon-vacancy binary system is accumulated in ascending order, and a true density calculated by dry density measurement by a constant volume expansion method using helium gas is 1.80 g/cm.sup.3 or more and 2.20 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

A porous carbon material composite formed of a porous carbon material and a functional material and equipped with high functionality. The porous carbon material composite is formed of (A) a porous carbon material obtainable from a plant-derived material having a silicon (Si) content of 5 wt % or higher as a raw material; and (B) a functional material adhered on the porous carbon material, and has a specific surface area of 10 m.sup.2/g or greater as determined by the nitrogen BET method and a pore volume of 0.1 cm.sup.3/g or greater as determined by the BJH method and MP method.

A porous carbon material composite formed of a porous carbon material and a functional material and equipped with high functionality. The porous carbon material composite is formed of (A) a porous carbon material obtainable from a plant-derived material having a silicon (Si) content of 5 wt % or higher as a raw material; and (B) a functional material adhered on the porous carbon material, and has a specific surface area of 10 m.sup.2/g or greater as determined by the nitrogen BET method and a pore volume of 0.1 cm.sup.3/g or greater as determined by the BJH method and MP method.

An object of the present invention is to provide a carbonaceous material used for an electric double layer capacitor having a high electrostatic capacity and capable of maintaining the high electrostatic capacity and energy density over a long period and a method for producing the same. The present invention relates to a carbonaceous material having a specific surface area of 1,200 m.sup.2/g to 1,800 m.sup.2/g according to a BET method, an R-value of 1.2 or more and a G-band half-value width of 70 cm.sup.−1 or more according to a Raman spectrum.

An object of the present invention is to provide a carbonaceous material used for an electric double layer capacitor having a high electrostatic capacity and capable of maintaining the high electrostatic capacity and energy density over a long period and a method for producing the same. The present invention relates to a carbonaceous material having a specific surface area of 1,200 m.sup.2/g to 1,800 m.sup.2/g according to a BET method, an R-value of 1.2 or more and a G-band half-value width of 70 cm.sup.−1 or more according to a Raman spectrum.

The present invention is directed to production of granular carbon, prepared from lignin. The process comprises the steps of providing agglomerated lignin, heating the agglomerated lignin to obtain thermally stabilized lignin and subjecting the thermally stabilized agglomerated lignin to heat treatment to obtain granular carbon.