A Novel Route to Realise High Degree of Graphitization in Carbon-carbon Composites Derived from Hard Carbons

Mathur, R.B.,Bahl, O.P.,Dhami, T.L.,Chauhan, S.K. Korean Carbon Society 2003 Carbon Letters Vol.4 No.3

Carbon/carbon composites were developed using PAN based carbon fibres and phenolic resin as matrix in different volume fractions and heat treated to temperatures between $1000^{\circ}C$ to $2500^{\circ}C$. Although both the starting precursors are nongraphitizing hard carbons individually, their composites lead to very interesting properties e.g. x-ray diffractograms show the development of graphitic phase for composites having fibre volume fractions of 30~40%. Consequently the electrical resistivity of such composites reaches a value of $0.8\;m{\Omega}cm$, very close to highly graphitic material. However, it was found that by increasing the fibre volume fraction to 50~60%, the trend is reversed. Optical microscopy of the composites also reveals the development of strong columnar type microstructure at the fibre (matrix interface due to stress graphitization of the matrix. The study forcasts a unique possibility of producing high thermal conductivity carbon/carbon composites starting with carbon fibres in the chopped form only.

Development of Carbon-Ceramic Composites using Fly Ash and Carbon Fibers as Reinforcement

Manocha, S.,Patel, Rakesh Korean Carbon Society 2006 Carbon Letters Vol.7 No.1

Carbon-ceramic composites were fabricated by using fly ash and PANOX fibers as reinforcement. Fly ash, because of its small size particles e.g. submicron to micron level can be effectively dispersed along with fibrous reinforcements. Phenolic resin was used as carbon precursor. Both dry as well as wet methods were used for forming composites. The resulting composites were characterized for their microstructure, thermal and mechanical properties. The microstructure and mechanical properties of composites are found to be dependent on type of the fly ash, fibrous reinforcements as well as processing parameters. The addition of fly ash improves hardness and the fibers, which get co-carbonized on heat treatment, increase the flexural strength of the carbon-ceramic composites. Composites with dual reinforcement exhibit about 30-40% higher strength as compared to the composites made with single reinforcement, either with fly ash as filler or with chopped fibers.

Validation of Adsorption Efficiency of Activated Carbons through Surface Morphological Characterization Using Scanning Electron Microscopy Technique

Malik, Ruchi,Mukherjee, Manisha,Swami, Aditya,Ramteke, Dilip S.,Sarin, Rajkamal Korean Carbon Society 2004 Carbon Letters Vol.5 No.2

The studies on activated carbon prepared from walnut shell and groundnut shell were undertaken to ascertain the effect of initial state of precursor and activation process on the development of porosity in the resulting activated carbon. Walnut shell based carbon shows the presence of cellular pores while Groundnut shell based carbon shows fibrillar pore structure. The adsorption parameters, characterization of product and scanning electron microscopic studies carried out showed the presence of mainly Micro, Meso and Macro porosity in carbon prepared from Walnut shell while mainly micro porosity was observed in Groundnut shell based activated carbon. An interrelationship between the adsorption efficiency and porosity in terms of quality control parameters, for before and after activation, was validated through the scanning electron microscopic data.

Effect of Silicon Infiltration on the Mechanical Properties of 2D Cross-ply Carbon-Carbon Composites

Dhakate, S.R.,Aoki, T.,Ogasawara, T. Korean Carbon Society 2004 Carbon Letters Vol.5 No.3

Effect of silicon infiltration on the bend and tensile strength of 2D cross-ply carbon-carbon composites are studied. It is observed that bend strength higher than tensile strength in both types of composite is due to the different mode of fracture and loading direction. After silicon infiltrations bend and tensile strength suddenly decreases of carbon-carbon composites. This is due to the fact that, after silicon infiltration, silicon in the immediate vicinity of carbon forms the strong bond between carbon and silicon by formation silicon carbide and un-reacted silicon as free silicon. Therefore, these composites consist of three components carbon, silicon carbide and silicon. Due to mismatch between these three components secondary cracks developed and these cracks propagate from $90^{\circ}$ oriented plies to $0^{\circ}$ oriented plies by damaging the fibers (i.e., in-situ fiber damages). Hence, secondary cracks and in-situ fiber damages are responsible for degradation of mechanical properties of carbon-carbon composites after silicon infiltration which is revealed by microstructure investigation study by scanning electron microscope.

Mechanical Properties of Unidirectional Carbon-carbon Composites as a Function of Fiber Volume Content

Dhakate, S.R.,Mathur, R.B.,Dham, T.L. Korean Carbon Society 2002 Carbon Letters Vol.3 No.3

Unidirectional polymer composites were prepared using high-strength carbon fibers as reinforcement and phenolic resin as matrix precursor with keeping fiber volume fraction at 30, 40, 50 and 60% respectively. These composites were carbonized at $1000^{\circ}C$ and graphitised at $2600^{\circ}C$ in the inert atmosphere. The carbonized and graphitised composites were characterized for mechanical properties as well as microstructure. Microscopic studies were carried out of the polished surface of carbonized and graphitised composites after etching by chromic acid, to understand the effect of fiber volume fraction on oxidation at fiber-matrix interface. It is found that the flexural strength in polymer composites increases with fiber volume fraction and so does for the carbonised composites. However, the trend was found to be reversed in graphitised composites. In all the carbonized composites anisotropic region has been observed at fiber-matrix interface which transforms into columnar type microstructure upon graphitisation. The extension of strong and weak columnar type microstructure is function of fiber volume fraction. SEM microscopy of the etched surface of the sample reveal that composites containing 40% fiber volume has minimum oxidation at the interface, revealing a strong interfacial bonding.

Removal of Pesticide (Endosulphan) from Water via Adsorption onto Activated Carbons Developed from Date Pits

Ashour, Sheikha.S. Korean Carbon Society 2007 Carbon Letters Vol.8 No.2

Activated carbons were prepared by impregnation of crushed clean date pits in concentrated solutions of phosphoric acid or zinc chloride followed by carbonization in absence of air at $600^{\circ}C$. Steam-activated carbon was prepared by gasifying $600^{\circ}C$-carbonization product at $950^{\circ}C$ to a burn-off = 50%. KOH- activated carbon was prepared by impregnating date pitscarbonization product obtained at $450^{\circ}C$ in concentrated KOH solution followed by carbonization at $840^{\circ}C$. Textural properties of these carbons were determined from nitrogen adsorption at $-196^{\circ}C$ and the chemistry of the carbon surface was investigated by determination and of the surface carbon-oxygen (C-O) groups using bases of variable strength and dilute HCl. The adsorption of endosulphan at $27^{\circ}C$ on all the carbons prepared was undertaken. Adsorption of this pesticide at 32 and $37^{\circ}C$ was also undertaken for steam-activated and KOH-activated carbons. Phosphoric acid-activated carbons and steamactivated carbons are mainly microporous and have high surface concentration of C-O groups of acidic nature. Steamactivated and KOH-activated carbons exhibited surface areas > 1000 $m^2/g$ and contain micro and non-micrpores. The adsorption of endosulphan was related to the surface area of non-micropores and was retarded by the high concentration of surface C-O groups. The thermodynamic properties indicated the feasibility of the adsorption process and the possible regeneration of the carbon for further use.

Influence of Surface area, Surface Chemical Structure and Solution pH on the Adsorption of Pb(II) Ions on Activated Carbons

Goyal, Meenakshi,Amutha, R. Korean Carbon Society 2006 Carbon Letters Vol.7 No.2

The influence of carbon surface area, carbon-oxygen groups associated with the carbon surface and the solution pH on the adsorption of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions has been studied using three activated carbons. The adsorption isotherms are Type I of BET classification and the data obeys Langmuir adsorption equation. The BET surface area has little effect on the adsorption while it is strongly influenced by the presence of acidic carbon oxygen surface groups. The amount of these surface groups was enhanced by oxidation of the carbons with different oxidizing agents and reduced by eliminating these groups on degassing at different temperatures. The adsorption of Pb(II) ions increases on each oxidation and decreases on degassing the oxidized carbons. The increase in adsorption on oxidation has been attributed to the formation of acidic carbon-oxygen surface groups and the decrease to the elimination of these acidic surface groups on degassing. The adsorption is also influenced by the pH of the aqueous solution. The adsorption is only small at pH values lower than 3 but is considerably larger at higher pH values. Suitable mechanisms consistent with the adsorption data have been suggested.

Carbon/TiO₂ Prepared from Anatase to Pitch and their Photocatalytic Performance

Chen, Ming-Liang,Ko, Young-Shin,Oh, Won-Chun Korean Carbon Society 2007 Carbon Letters Vol.8 No.1

Carbon/$TiO_2$ composites were prepared by $CCl_4$ solvent mixing method with different mixing ratios. Since the carbon layers derived from pitch on the $TiO_2$ particles were porous, the Carbon/$TiO_2$ composite series showed a good adsorptivity and photo decomposition activity. The BET surface area for the carbon layer in the sample increases to increasing with pitch contents. The SEM results present to the characterization of porous texture on the Carbon/$TiO_2$ composite and pitch distributions on the surfaces for all the materials used. From XRD data, a weak and broad carbon peak of graphene with pristine anatase peaks were observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns for the Carbon/$TiO_2$. The EDX spectra show the presence of C, O and S with strong Ti peaks. Most of these samples are richer in carbon and major Ti metal than any other elements. Finally, the excellent photocatalytic activity of Carbon/$TiO_2$ with slope relationship between relative concentration (C/$C_0$) of MB and t could be attributed to the homogeneous coated pitch on the external surface by $CCl_4$ solvent method.

Mechanical Properties of Carbon/Carbon Composites Densified by HIP Technique

Manocha, L.M.,Warrier, Ashish,Manocha, S.,Banerji, S.,Sathiyamoorthy, D. Korean Carbon Society 2005 Carbon Letters Vol.6 No.1

The study of mechanical properties and fracture behaviour of carbon/carbon composites is significant to its application and development. These are dependent on microstructure and properties of reinforcing fibers and matrix, fiber/matrix interface and porosity/cracks present in the composites. In the present studies high-density carbon/carbon composites have been prepared using PAN and various pitch based carbon fibers as reinforcements and pitch as matrix with repeated densification cycles using high-pressure impregnation and carbonization technique. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the fracture behaviour of the highly dense composites and correlated with structure of the composites. The geometry of reinforcement and presence of unfilled voids/cracks was found to influence the path of crack propagation and thereby the strength of composites. The type of stresses (tensile or compressive) accumulated also plays an important role in fracture of composites.

Sorption of $Pb^{2+}$ Ions on to Activated Carbons Prepared from Olive Stones

Attia, Amina. A.,Shouman, Mona. A.,El-Nabarawy, Th. Korean Carbon Society 2005 Carbon Letters Vol.6 No.3

The carbon sample "O", phosphoric acid-activated carbon "OP", zinc chloride-activated carbon "OZ", and two steam activated carbons "OS" and "OS2" with different burn-off of 25% and 58% respectively, were prepared from olive stones. The textural properties were determined from the results of nitrogen adsorption at 77 K and by analyzing these results through the application of different adsorption models. The chemistry of the carbon surfaces was determined from the base neutralization capacities, acid neutralization capacity and surface pH. The sorption of $Pb^{2+}$ ions on to the carbons prepared was followed under dynamic and equilibrium conditions. The differences between the values of the textural parameters were attributed to the inapplicability of some adsorption models and to the heterogeneity of the microporous carbons. The sorption of $Pb^{2+}$ ions is favored on carbon and activated carbons. However, chemically activated carbons are more effective compared with steam-activated ones. The sorption of $Pb^{2+}$ ions were related to the chemistry of the surface rather than to the textural properties.