Improving the models used for calculating the size distribution of micropore volume of activated carbons from adsorption data Original Research Article

A widely used model for analyzing micropore distribution in activated carbons assumes an array of semi-infinite, rigid slits of distributed width whose walls are modeled as energetically uniform graphite. Adsorption isotherms can be simulated for this system using GCMC or DFT. Micropore size distributions determined from experimental isotherms using such models usually show minima near two and three molecular diameters effective pore width, regardless of the simulation method used. This may prove to be a model-induced artifact, rather than the real situation.