Analysis of Graphene-like Structures Produced from Commercial Graphite Via Solid-State Shear Pulverization

Analysis of graphene-like structures produced from commercial graphite via solid-state shear pulverization

Paola Arias and Katsuyuki Wakabayashi

Department of Chemical Engineering

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA 17837

2013

Nanocomposties are advanced materials that incorporate nanosized particles into a polymer matrix. These nanocomposites possess enhanced properties of strength, light weight, durability and heat resistance. One of the materials of considerable interest to use as filler is Graphene. Graphene is a carbon structure, 2-dimensional crystal, the thinnest, lightest, strongest material. Due to its outstanding properties at a molecular scale there has been a great deal of effort in obtaining this material using complex experiments.

In the polymer processing laboratory at Bucknell, we possess a unique machine called the solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) and solid state melt extrusion (SSME). This machine pulverizes the polymer and filler together, causing the graphite particles to separate from each other via a process called exfoliation, which separates the individual graphene layers and increases the surface area.[1]

This study focuses on the fabrication of new, superior, graphene-like structures from three different types of commercially available graphite using solid state shear pulverization (SSSP) and solid state melt extrusion (SSME). In addition, structures fabricated from carbon nanotubes and carbon black were fabricated and compared to the structures obtained from graphite. The analysis was primarily conducted through BET surface area measurement techniques and Scanning Electron Microscope to compare the exfoliated filler properties. Sonication was also used to determine if exfoliation of the samples processed through the SSSP and SSME methods are affected by the additional process.

[1] K. Wakabayashi, P.J. Brunner, J. Masuda, S.A. Hewlett, J.M. Torkelson. Polymer, Volume 51, Issue 23, 29 October 2010.