ABSTRACT
254 Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) possess properties that are rarely present in any other types of carbon adsorbent, including a small cross-sectional area, combined with a multitude of slit-shaped nanopores that are suitable for adsorption of certain types of molecules. Because of their unique properties, these materials can be used for the selective adsorption of organic molecules.
On the other hand, activated carbon fiber (ACF) has been widely applied as an effective adsorbent for micropollutants in recent years. ACF effectively adsorbs and removes a full spectrum of harmful substances. Although there are various methods of fabricating CNFs, electrospinning is perhaps the most versatile procedure. This technique has been given great attention in current decades because of the nearly simple, comfortable, and low cost. Spinning process control and achieve optimal conditions are important to effect on its physical properties, absorbency, and versatility with different industrial purposes. Modeling and simulation are suitable methods to obtain this approach. In this chapter, activated CNFs were produced during electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile solution. Stabilization, carbonization, and activation of electrospun nanofibers in optimized conditions were achieved, and mathematical modeling of electrospinning process was done by focusing on governing equations of electrified fluid jet motion (using FeniCS software). Experimental and theoretical results will be compared with each other to estimate the accuracy of the model. The simulation can provide the possibility of predicting essential parameters, which affect the electrospinning process.
