Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of chemical composition of carbonaceous powder on morphology and thermal properties of graphite blocks

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Carbon Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two kinds of mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) with different chemical composition have been synthesized. The MCMBs were molded and heat treated at temperatures above 2000 °C to obtain graphite blocks. The effects of chemical composition of MCMBs on the pore morphology, carbon texture and thermal properties of the derived graphite blocks have been explored. The pore morphology was investigated by small angle X-ray scattering technique and a graphitization-induced morphology transition was observed. When the graphitic crystallite size exceeded a threshold value, the association of crystallites and migration of randomly distributed pores took place extensively. For the graphite blocks made of MCMBs which had light components with higher aromaticity value, the growth of crystallites caused a significant enhancement in thermal conductivity for the specimens. However, for the other kind of MCMBs, their light components tended to form solid porous carbon texture after graphitization, and the thermal conductivity coefficients of their graphite blocks could only increase slightly as crystallites grew. It was suggested that the thermal resistance at the granule’s boundary became noticeable in the latter case and thus the growth of thermal conductivity coefficients was prominently hindered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lee SM, Kang DS, Roh JS (2015) Bulk graphite: materials and manufacturing process. Carbon Lett 16:135–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Mochida I, Fujiura R, Kojima T, Sakamoto H, Yoshimura T (1995) Carbon disk of high density and strength prepared from heat-treated mesophase pitch grains. Carbon 33:265–274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bhatia G, Aggarwal RK, Punjabi N, Bahl OP (1997) Effect of sintering temperature on the characteristics of carbons based on mesocarbon microbeads. J Mater Sci 32:135–139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wang YG, Korai Y, Mochida I (1999) Carbon disc of high density and strength prepared from synthetic pitch-derived mesocarbon microbeads. Carbon 37:1049–1057

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hoffmann WR, Hüttinger KJ (1993) Demonstration of spontaneous liquid-phase sintering of mesophase powders. Carbon 31:259–262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gao Y, Song H, Chen X (2003) Self-sinterability of mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) for preparation of high-density isotropic carbon. J Mater Sci 38:2209–2213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Norfolk C, Mukasyan A, Hayes D, McGinn P, Varma A (2004) Processing of mesocarbon microbeads to high-performance materials: Part I. Studies towards the sintering mechanism. Carbon 42:11–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Shen K, Huang ZH, Shen W, Yang J, Yang G, Yu S, Kang F (2015) Homogeneous and highly isotropic graphite produced from mesocarbon microbeads. Carbon 94:18–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Martínez-Escandell M, Rodríguez-Valero MA, Coronado JS, Rodríguez-Reinoso F (2002) Modification of the sintering behavior of mesophase powder from a petroleum residue. Carbon 40:2843–2853

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Llorca-Porcel J, Rodríguez-Valero MA, Martínez-Escandell M, Rodríguez-Reinoso F (2008) Sinterbility enhancement in semicokes obtained by controlled pyrolysis of petroleum residue. J Anal Appl Pyrolysis 85:163–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fernández JJ, Figueiras A, Granda M, Bermejo J, Menéndez R (1995) Modification of coal-tar pitch by air-blowing-I. variation of pitch composition and properties. Carbon 33:295–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Taylor R, Gilchrist KE, Poston LJ (1968) Thermal conductivity of polycrystalline graphite. Carbon 6:537–544

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Klemens PG, Pedraza DF (1994) Thermal conductivity of graphite in the basal plane. Carbon 32:735–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhou Z, Bouwman WG, Schut H, Desert S, Jestin J, Hartmann S, Pappas C (2016) From nanopores to macropores: fractal morphology of graphite. Carbon 96:541–547

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mileeva Z, Ross DK, King SM (2013) A study of nuclear graphite using small-angle neutron scattering. Carbon 64:20–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Murty HN, Bielderman DL, Heintz EA (1969) Kinetics of graphitization I- activation energies. Carbon 7:667–681

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Marie J, Mering J (1970) Graphitization of soft carbon materials. In: Walker PL (ed) Chemistry and physics of carbon, vol 6. Decker, New York, pp 125–189

  18. Jeng US, Su CH, Su CJ, Liao KF, Chuang WT, Lai YH, Chang JW, Chen YJ, Huang YS, Lee MT, Yu KL, Lin JM, Liu DG, Chang CF, Liu CY, Chang CH, Liang KS (2010) A small/wide-angle X-ray scattering instrument for structural characterization of air-liquid interfaces, thin films and bulk specimens. J Appl Crystallogr 43:110–121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Guillén MD, Iglesias MJ, Domínguez A, Blanco CG (1992) Semiquantitative FTIR analysis of a coal tar pitch and its extracts and residues in several organic solvents. Energy Fuels 6:518–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Alcañiz-Monge D, Cazorla-Amorós D, Linares-Solano A (2001) Characterization of coal tar pitches by thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy and solvent fractionation. Fuel 80:41–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Russo C, Ciajolo A, Stanzione F, Tregrossi A, Oliano MM, Carpentieri A, Apicella B (2019) Investigation on chemical and structural properties of coal- and petroleum- derived pitches and implications on physico-chemical properties (solubility, softening and coking). Fuel 245:478–487

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Blanco C, Santamaría R, Bermejo J, Menéndez R (2000) A comparative study of air-blowing and thermally treated coal-tar pitches. Carbon 38:517–523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Pérez M, Granda M, Santamaría R, Morgan T, Menéndez R (2004) A thermoanalytical study of the co-pyrolysis of coal-tar pitch and petroleum pitch. Fuel 83:1257–1265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Bai BC, Kim JG, Kim JH, Lee CW, Lee YS, Im JS (2018) Blending effect of pyrolyzed fuel oil and coal tar in pitch production for artificial graphite. Carbon Lett 25:78–83

    Google Scholar 

  25. Iwashita N, Park CR, Fujimoto H, Shiraishi M, Inagaki M (2004) Specification for a standard procedure of X-ray diffraction measurements on carbon materials. Carbon 42:701–714

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Endo M, Kim C, Karaki T, Kasai T, Matthews MJ, Brown SDM, Dresselhaus MS, Tamaki T, Nishimura Y (1998) Structural characterization of milled mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers. Carbon 36:1633–1641

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Pfeifer P, Ehrburger-Dolle F, Reiker TP, González MT, Hoffman WP, Molina-Sabio M, Rodríguez-Reinoso F, Schmidt PW, Voss DJ (2002) Nearly space-filling fractal networks of carbon nanopores. Phys Rev Lett 88:115502

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Teixeira J (1988) Small angle scattering by fractal systems. J Appl Crystallogr 21:781–785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Reich MH, Russo SP, Snook IK, Wagenfeld HK (1990) The application of SAXS to determine the fractal properties of porous carbon-based materials. J Colloid Interface Sci 135:353–362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. de Fonton S, Oberlin A, Inagaki M (1980) Characterization by electron microscopy of carbon phases (intermediate turbostratic phase and graphite) in hard carbons when heat-treated under pressure. J Mater Sci 15:909–917

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Oberlin A, Villey M, Combaz A (1980) Influence of elemental composition on carbonization-pyrolysis of kerosene shale and kuckersite. Carbon 18:347–353

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Monthioux M, Oberlin M, Bourrat X, Boulet R (1982) Heavy petroleum products: microstructure and ability to graphitize. Carbon 20:167–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the China Steel Chemical Corporation, Taiwan for the supply of carbonaceous powder for this research. We also thank Dr. Hung Su (Department of Chemistry) and the Joint Center for High Valued Instruments at National Sun Yat-sen University for the support of LDI-TOFMS analysis.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New Materials Research & Development Department, China Steel Corporation, Kaohsiung, 81233, Taiwan

    Jen-Yung Hsu

  2. National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, 30076, Taiwan

    Chun-Jen Su

  3. Research & Development Department, China Steel Chemical Corporation, Kaohsiung, 81233, Taiwan

    Yung-Lin Yen & Che-Yun Lee

Authors
  1. Jen-Yung Hsu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chun-Jen Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yung-Lin Yen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Che-Yun Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jen-Yung Hsu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 38 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hsu, JY., Su, CJ., Yen, YL. et al. Effects of chemical composition of carbonaceous powder on morphology and thermal properties of graphite blocks. Carbon Lett. 32, 797–805 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42823-021-00312-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42823-021-00312-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation