2015, Vol.16, No.3

Carbon Letters 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 1.35 KCI-WoS Impact Factor : 4.82

pISSN : 1976-4251 / eISSN : 2233-4998
https://journal.kci.go.kr/carbon

Graphite can be classified into natural graphite from mines and artificial graphite. Due to its outstanding properties such as light weight, thermal resistance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, chemical stability, and high-temperature strength, artificial graphite is used across various industries in powder form and bulk form. Artificial graphite of powder form is usually used as anode materials for secondary cells, while artificial graphite of bulk form is used in steelmaking electrode bars, nuclear reactor moderators, silicon ingots for semiconductors, and manufacturing equipment. This study defines artificial graphite as bulk graphite, and provides an overview of bulk graphite manufacturing, including isotropic and anisotropic materials, molding methods, and heat treatment.

In recent decades, there has been an increasing interest in the use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) in aerospace, renewable energy and other industries, due to its low weight and relatively good mechanical properties compared with traditional metals. However, due to the high cost of petroleum-based precursors and their associated processing costs, CF remains a specialty product and as such has been limited to use in high-end aerospace, sporting goods, automotive, and specialist industrial applications. The high cost of CF is a problem in various applications and the use of CFRP has been impeded by the high cost of CF in various applications. This paper presents an overview of research related to the fabrication of low cost CF using polyethylene (PE) control technology, and identifies areas requiring additional research and development. It critically reviews the results of cross-linked PE control technology studies, and the development of promising control technologies, including acid, peroxide, radiation and silane cross-linking methods.

Mesophase pitch is an important starting material for making a wide spectrum of industrial and advanced carbon products. It is produced by pyrolysis of petroleum residues. In this work, mesophase formation behavior in petroleum residues was studied to prepare environmentally- benign mesophase pitches, and the composition of petroleum residues and its influence on the mesophase formation was investigated. Two petroleum residues, i.e., clarified oil s (CLO-1, CLO-2) obtained from fluid catalytic cracking units of different Indian petroleum refineries, were taken as feed stocks. A third petroleum residue, aromatic extract (AE), was produced by extraction of one of the CLO-1 by using N-methyl pyrrolidone solvent. These petroleum residues were thermally treated at 380°C to examine their mesophase formation behavior. Mesophase pitches produced as a result of thermal treatment were characterized physico-chemically, as well as by instrumental techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry. Thermal treatment of these petroleum residues led to formation of a liquid-crystalline phase (mesophase). The mesophase formation behavior in the petroleum residues was analyzed by optical microscopy. Mesophase pitch prepared from CLO-2 exhibited the highest mesophase content (53 vol%) as compared to other mesophase pitches prepared from CLO-1 and AE.