Electric conductivity of active carbons from phenol-formaldehyde oligomers and its relationship with the sorption of noble metals

The electric resistance of samples of active carbons, obtained from phenolformaldehyde oligomers of different nature and activated at different conditions, has been investigated. A clear relationship has been found to exist between the specific electric resistance of the carbons and the temperature of their thermal treatment. The structure of the polymer, from which the carbon had been obtained, as well as the nature of the activator affect its electric conductivity. A relationship has been established between the sorption characteristics of carbon sorbents towards substances, absorbed by the carbon, based on a donor-acceptor mechanism, and the electric conductivity of these samples. A symbatic relationship exists between the sorption of [Au(CN)₂]^– and the electric resistance.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 508–511, July–August, 1989.