Pre-formed activated carbon matting derived from the pyrolysis of biomass natural fibre textile waste

Low grade biomass fibre produced as a by-product from the flax and hemp industry was manufactured into a non-woven, pre-formed matting material via entanglement, layering and needling. The advantage of such a structure is that textile technology is used to form a self supporting fibre matrix, utilising the ease with which fibre can be worked. The non-woven matting was then pyrolysed and gasified with steam to produce activated carbon. The influence of pyrolysis process conditions on the production of chars and activated carbon from the pre-formed, non-woven textile matting were investigated.