PLASMA-CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF CARBON FROM METHANE IN A MICROWAVE DISCHARGE

This study presents a comprehensive investigation of carbon materials synthesized via methane pyrolysis in a microwave plasma discharge under atmospheric pressure. Particular attention is paid to the influence of microwave power on the morphological, phase, and textural characteristics of the resulting carbon. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that increasing the discharge power from 0.6 to 1.4 kW leads to a reduction in average particle size (from ~20.2 to ~10.4 μm) and the formation of more dispersed structures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed a transition from a turbostratic, amorphous phase to a more ordered, graphite-like structure with increasing process temperature. Nitrogen adsorption analysis using the BET and BJH methods confirmed the mesoporous nature of the materials, with the highest specific surface area and pore volume observed at the lowest plasma power (628 m²/g and 5.04 cm³/g, respectively). These findings demonstrate that microwave discharge power is a key parameter for tailoring the structure and functionality of carbon materials, making them promising candidates for applications in catalysis, adsorption, and energy storage.

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