# US 2023/0312352 A1 · Antibacterial hyper-branched polymer and antibacterial spherical activated carbon using the same

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- Number: US 2023/0312352 A1
- Document ID: US20230312352A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/012,772
- Filed: 2021-06-30
- Published: 2023-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-16
- Assignees: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Nf Corporation
- Applicants: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Nf Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jeong Kwon SUH; Ji Sook HONG; Sang Kon LEE; Jae Hoon LEE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230312352A1

## CPC

- C01B 32/318: characterised by the starting materials
- A01N 25/10: Macromolecular compounds
- A01N 59/00: Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds
- A01P 1/00: Disinfectants; Antimicrobial compounds or mixtures thereof
- A61L 9/014: containing sorbent material, e.g. activated carbon
- B01J 20/20: comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
- C08L 25/06: Polystyrene
- C08L 101/00: Compositions of unspecified macromolecular compounds
- C01P 2004/32: Spheres
- C01P 2004/61: Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer
- C01P 2006/12: Surface area
- C01P 2006/90: Other properties not specified above
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
- A01P: BIOCIDAL, PEST REPELLANT, PEST ATTRACTANT OR PLANT GROWTH REGULATORY ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR PREPARATIONS
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

## Abstract

The present invention provides a hyper-branched polymer having a three-dimensional structure, which is applicable to treatment of harmful substances in the atmosphere and has antibacterial activity, as well as a method for manufacturing the same. Further, the present invention provides an antibacterial spherical activated carbon which is ultimately obtained using the hyper-branched polymer as a precursor. The antibacterial spherical activated carbon, which is the final product according to the present invention, may induce a chemical bonding of ion bonds in an antibacterial component to a carrier without use of a separate binder, thereby stably immobilizing the antibacterial component. Furthermore, it is possible to adjust a loading amount of the antibacterial component as well as a specific surface area of the carrier through a simple operation. Moreover, the present invention enables uniform distribution of the antibacterial component on the spherical activated carbon at the atomic level, and has an advantage in that a high-strength antibacterial spherical activated carbon can be manufactured without elution and/or loss of antibacterial component even when using the activated carbon of the present invention for water treatment. Furthermore, effects of increasing the antibacterial performance by adsorption of organic matter in pores of the activated carbon that has been developed through incompatibility processing-carbonization-activation processes may also be expected. Therefore, the antibacterial spherical activated carbon prepared by the present invention is applicable to not only the removal of harmful substances such as SOx, NOx, VOC, etc. in the atmosphere but also an air purifier using antibacterial ability of the antibacterial material itself. In particular, the present material can be applied to all air cleaning systems requiring antibacterial functions because a large amount of antibacterial component can be uniformly supported on the spherical activated carbon, and eventually, the material has a perfectly spherical shape with a uniform surface and high strength so as to attain high organic matter removal efficiency.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Activated carbon produced using a hyper-branched polymer containing an antibacterial component as a precursor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the activated carbon has a spherical shape.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the activated carbon has an average particle diameter of 300 to 500 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the antibacterial component is one or more coordination compounds selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, iron, zinc and nickel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the antibacterial component is included in an amount of 0.01 to 15 wt. % based on a total weight of the activated carbon.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the hyper-branched polymer contains styrene:divinylbenzene in a weight ratio of 7 to 9:0.5 to 3.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the activated carbon has a specific surface area of 800 m2/g.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the activated carbon has a strength of 4 to 10 kg/unit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein a specific gravity of the activated carbon ranges from 1.4 to 2.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the hyper-branched polymer is prepared by treating the same with ultrasonic waves for 5 to 60 minutes.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the hyper-branched polymer is prepared using 20 to 40% (v/v) of formic acid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The activated carbon according to claim 1, wherein the activated carbon is used for antibacterial treatment or sterilization.

### Claim 13

A method for manufacturing activated carbon, comprising:
(a) stabilizing a hyper-branched polymer at 250 to 350° C. for 2 to 5 hours in an atmospheric condition;
(b) carbonizing the hyper-branched polymer stabilized in step (a) at 500 to 900° C. for 0.5 to 2 hours by heating the same while increasing the temperature in a nitrogen atmosphere; and
(c) activating the hyper-branched polymer carbonized in step (b) for 0.2 to 3 hours by heating the same while increasing the temperature to 850 to 1,100° C. along with nitrogen and water vapor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method for manufacturing activated carbon according to claim 13, wherein the hyper-branched polymer of step (a) is prepared to include a styrene monomer:divinylbenzene in a weight ratio of 7 to 9.5:0.5 to 3.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method for manufacturing activated carbon according to claim 13, wherein the hyper-branched polymer of step (a) is prepared to include 0.01 to 15 wt. % of one or more antibacterial components selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, iron, zinc and nickel based on a total weight of activated carbon.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method for manufacturing activated carbon according to claim 13, wherein the hyper-branched polymer of step (a) is prepared using 20 to 40% (v/v) of formic acid.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method for manufacturing activated carbon according to claim 13, wherein the hyper-branched polymer of step (a) is prepared by treating the same with ultrasonic waves in a range of 20 kHz to 25 MHz for 5 to 60 minutes.