Pitch-based activated carbon fiber

Abstract

There is disclosed an optically isotropic pitch-based activated carbon fiber which has a proportion of the number of ultramicropores with a pore diameter of 0.5 nm or smaller to the total number of pores with a pore diameter of 4 nm or smaller being at least 70%; a specific surface area of 500 to 3000 m.sup.2 /g; and the pores consisting substantially only of the pores with a pore diameter of 4 nm or smaller, which are allowed to three-dimentionally communicate with at least a part of the surrounding pores and are distributed with an almost uniform density throughout the fiber including the surface layer part and the inner part of the fiber. The above activated carbon fiber has a high adsorption efficiency without decrease in mechanical strength and is effectively utilized as adsorbents for low molecular organic compounds and inorganic compounds, adsorbents for trace amounts of radioactive substances, catalyst carriers, electrodes for secondary batteries, etc.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.