Vapor Phase Impregnation of Active Carbons

Abstract
This report summarizes the accomplishments of a 13 month program to study vapor impregnation processes as a means for producing carbons having increased protection against toxic agents. Processes were developed for the vapor impregnation of carbon with cupric oxide, chromium trioxide, aluminum chloride and platinum. Spectrographic analysis of impregnated samples indicated that impregnants were present on these carbons in the expected concentration range. BET surface area analysis proved that material deposited by vapor impregnation processes caused less loss of surface area than equal amounts of material deposited by conventional solution processes. Pore size distribution calculations revealed that vapor impregnation processes deposited material in all carbon pores, while solution processes deposit material only in pores larger than 12 A in diameter. Copper-chromium (oxide) vapor impregnated carbons were subjected to treatments designed to produce an impregnant with CK activity similar to a solution impregnated ASC carbon. Samples were produced which had greater CK activity than an unimpregnated carbon, but less activity than an ASC carbon. Future work plans designed to optimize the vapor deposition and treatment of copper-chromium oxides, to produce carbon with several times the CK capacity of an ASC, are reviewed.

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