KOH direct activation for preparing activated carbon fiber from polyacrylonitrile-based pre-oxidized fiber

The activated carbon fiber(ACF) was prepared from polyacrylonitrile-based pre-oxidized fiber(PANOF) by KOH direct activation. The influence of activation conditions including impregnation ratio(the mass ratio of PANOF to KOH), activation temperature and activation time on the pore structure and electrochemical properties of ACF was investigated, and the corresponding activation mechanism was proposed. The ACF prepared at an activation temperature of 800 °C and an impregnation ratio(the mass ratio of PANOF to KOH) of 1:2 for an activation time of 1 h in 6 mol/L KOH solution exhibits a specific surface area of 3029 m2/g, a mesoporosity of 84.2% and a specific capacitance of 288 F/g, and shows a good capacitive performance. The prepared ACF can be used as the electrode material for supercapacitors.