The chameleonic carbon surfaces: Environmental problems and solutions

The oversimplified but illustrative equation presented below highlights the key advantage of the proposed concept (see Figure 2). Max $/yr = OptlbP1/yr $/lbP1 + OptlbP2/yr $/lbP2 + OptlbP3/yr $/lbP3 + OptlbP4/yr $/lbP4 The aromatic character of coal makes it a natural, high-yield raw material for carbon products. And the chameleonic nature of the carbon surface, which can be tailored to produce a variety of either bulk-property-dominated materials (e.g., P3) or surface-active materials (e.g., P1, P2, P4), provides the desired flexibility in exploiting the emerging markets of the 21^st century. Both the yields of the products (OptlbP/yr) and their quality or market value ($/lbP) can thus be optimized and continually fine-tuned for maximum profit (Max$/yr). This augurs well for an elegant scientific, technological and economic solution to the environmental problems of coal utilization.