Abstract: This paper supplied a method to prepare rice husk based high specific surface area porous carbon with sodium hydroxide as activating agent. The mechanism and the effects of preparation parameters on the properties of the porous carbon were studied. The specific surface area of the carbon with a narrow pore size distribution is more than 2 500 m²/g. The properties of the porous carbons could be controlled by changing the reaction conditions.

Key words: porous carbon, rice husks, sodium hydroxide