In this study, a graphite block is fabricated using artificial graphite processing byproduct and phenolic resin as raw materials. Mechanical and electrical property changes are confirmed due to the preforming method. After fabricating preforms at 50, 100, and 150 MPa, CIP molding at 150 MPa is followed by heat treatment to prepare a graphite block. 150UP-CIP shows a 12.9% reduction in porosity compared with the 150 MPa preform. As the porosity is decreased, the bulk density, flexural strength, and shore hardness are increased by 14.9%, 102.4%, and 13.7%, respectively; and the deviation of density and electrical resistivity are decreased by 51.9% and 34.1%, respectively. Therefore, as the preforming pressure increases, the porosity decreases, and the electrical and mechanical properties improve.

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• Effect of Microstructural Change under Pressure during Isostatic Pressing on Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Isotropic Carbon Blocks
  Tae-Sub Byun, Sang-Hye Lee, Suk-Hwan Kim, Jae-Seung Roh
  Materials.2024; 17(2): 387.     CrossRef
• Effect of Pressure and Holding Time during Compression Molding on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Coke-Pitch Carbon Blocks
  Sun-Ung Gwon, Sang-Hye Lee, U-Sang Youn, Jae-Seung Roh
  Applied Sciences.2024; 14(2): 772.     CrossRef

Tin/graphite composites are prepared as anode materials for Li-ion batteries using a dry ball-milling process. The main experimental variables in this work are the ball milling time (0–8 h) and composition ratio (tin:graphite=5:95, 15:85, and 30:70 w/w) of graphite and tin powder. For comparison, a tin/graphite composite is prepared using wet ball milling. The morphology and structure of the different tin/graphite composites are investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the samples are also examined. The optimal dry ball milling time for the uniform mixing of graphite and tin is 6 h in a graphite-30wt.%Sn sample. The electrode prepared from the composite that is dry-ballmilled for 6 h exhibits the best cycle performance (discharge capacity after 50^th cycle: 308 mAh/g and capacity retention: 46%). The discharge capacity after the 50^th cycle is approximately 112 mAh/g, higher than that when the electrode is composed of only graphite (196 mAh/g after 50^th cycle). This result indicates that it is possible to manufacture a tin/graphite composite anode material that can effectively buffer the volume change that occurs during cycling, even using a simple dry ball-milling process.

The change in the open porosity of bulk graphite as a function of the uniaxial molding pressure during manufacturing is studied using artificial graphite powder. Subsequently, the graphite is impregnated to determine the effect of the open porosity on the impregnation efficiency and to improve the density of the final bulk graphite. Bulk graphite is manufactured with different uniaxial molding pressures after mixing graphite powder, which is the by-product of processing the final graphite products and phenolic resin. The bulk density and open porosity are measured using the Archimedes method. The bulk density and open porosity of bulk graphite increase as the molding pressure increases. The open porosity of molded bulk graphite is 25.35% at 30 MPa and 29.84% at 300 MPa. It is confirmed that the impregnation efficiency increases when the impregnation process is performed on a specimen with large open porosity. In this study, the bulk density of bulk graphite molded at 300 MPa is 11.06% higher than that before impregnation, which is the highest reported increase. Therefore, it is expected that the higher the uniaxial pressure, the higher the density of bulk graphite.

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• Improving the packing and mechanical properties of graphite blocks by controlling filler particle-size distribution
  Hye in Hwang, Ji Hong Kim, Ji Sun Im
  Advanced Composite Materials.2024; 33(5): 762.     CrossRef
• Effect of Pressure and Holding Time during Compression Molding on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Coke-Pitch Carbon Blocks
  Sun-Ung Gwon, Sang-Hye Lee, U-Sang Youn, Jae-Seung Roh
  Applied Sciences.2024; 14(2): 772.     CrossRef
• Correlation between Pitch Impregnation Pressure and Pore Sizes of Graphite Block
  Changkyu Kim, Woong Kwon, Moon Hee Lee, Jong Seok Woo, Euigyung Jeong
  Materials.2022; 15(2): 561.     CrossRef

Bulk graphite is manufactured using graphite scrap as the filler and phenolic resin as the binder. Graphite scrap, which is the by-product of processing the final graphite product, is pulverized and sieved by particle size. The relationship between the density and porosity is analyzed by measuring the mechanical properties of bulk graphite. The filler materials are sieved into mean particle sizes of 10.62, 23.38, 54.09, 84.29, and 126.64 μm. The bulk graphite density using the filler powder with a particle size of 54.09 μm is 1.38 g/cm³, which is the highest value in this study. The compressive strength tends to increase as the bulk graphite density increases. The highest compressive strength of 43.14 MPa is achieved with the 54.09 μm powder. The highest flexural strength of 23.08 MPa is achieved using the 10.62 μm powder, having the smallest average particle size. The compressive strength is affected by the density of bulk graphite, and the flexural strength is affected by the filler particle size of bulk graphite.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Effect of Microstructural Change under Pressure during Isostatic Pressing on Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Isotropic Carbon Blocks
  Tae-Sub Byun, Sang-Hye Lee, Suk-Hwan Kim, Jae-Seung Roh
  Materials.2024; 17(2): 387.     CrossRef
• Feasibility assessment of manufacturing carbonized blocks from rice husk charcoal
  Young-Min Hwang, Jae-Seung Roh, Gibeop Nam
  Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery.2024; 14(20): 26409.     CrossRef
• Improving the packing and mechanical properties of graphite blocks by controlling filler particle-size distribution
  Hye in Hwang, Ji Hong Kim, Ji Sun Im
  Advanced Composite Materials.2024; 33(5): 762.     CrossRef
• Effect of Impregnation and Graphitization on EDM Performance of Graphite Blocks Using Recycled Graphite Scrap
  Sang-Hye Lee, Dong-Pyo Jeon, Hyun-Yong Lee, Dong-Gu Lee, Jae-Seung Roh
  Processes.2023; 11(12): 3368.     CrossRef
• Ultrafine Graphite Scrap and Carbon Blocks Prepared by High-Solid-Loading Bead Milling and Conventional Ball Milling: A Comparative Assessment
  Chonradee Amnatsin, Waroot Kanlayakan, Siraprapa Lhosupasirirat, Nattarut Verojpipath, Boonsueb Pragobjinda, Tanakorn Osotchan, Chakrit Sirisinha, Toemsak Srikhirin
  ACS Omega.2023; 8(50): 47919.     CrossRef
• The Effect of the Heating Rate during Carbonization on the Porosity, Strength, and Electrical Resistivity of Graphite Blocks Using Phenolic Resin as a Binder
  Sang-Hye Lee, Jae-Hyun Kim, Woo-Seok Kim, Jae-Seung Roh
  Materials.2022; 15(9): 3259.     CrossRef
• Rheological Behaviour of Hard-Metal Carbide Powder Suspensions at High Shear Rates
  B. Hausnerová, P. Sáha, J. Kubát, T. Kitano, J. Becker
  Journal of Polymer Engineering.2000;[Epub]     CrossRef

Accurate and effective powder compaction analyses are performed for brittle materials such as graphite, utilized as a solid lubricant, by using the discrete element method (DEM). The reliability of the DEM analysis is confirmed by comparing the results of graphite powder compaction analyses using the DEM particle bonding contact model and particle non-bonding contact model with those from the powder compaction experiment under the same conditions. To improve the characteristics, the parameters influencing the compaction properties of the metal-graphite mixtures are explored. The compressibility increases as the size distribution of the graphite powder increases, where the shape of the graphite particles is uniform. The improved compaction characteristics of the metal-graphite (bonding model) mixtures are further verified by the stress transmission and compressive force distribution between the top and bottom punches. It is confirmed that the application of graphite (bonding model) powders resulted in improved stress transmission and compressive force distribution of 24% and 85%, respectively.

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• Effects of solid graphite lubricants for powder compaction
  Jun Hyeok Jeong, Jinnil Choi
  Powder Metallurgy.2021; 64(3): 241.     CrossRef

In this paper, a durability study is presented to enhance the mechanical properties of an Fe-Si-Al powderbased magnetic core, through the addition of graphite. The compressive properties of Fe-Si-Al-graphite powder mixtures are explored using discrete element method (DEM), and a powder compaction experiment is performed under identical conditions to verify the reliability of the DEM analysis. Important parameters for powder compaction of Fe-Si-Algraphite powder mixtures are identified. The compressibility of the powders is observed to increase as the amount of graphite mixture increases and as the size of the graphite powders decreases. In addition, the compaction properties of the Fe-Si-Al-graphite powder mixtures are further explored by analyzing the transmissibility of stress between the top and bottom punches as well as the distribution of the compressive force. The application of graphite powders is confirmed to result in improved stress transmission and compressive force distribution, by 24% and 51%, respectively.

Recently, the amount of heat generated in devices has been increasing due to the miniaturization and high performance of electronic devices. Cu-graphite composites are emerging as a heat sink material, but its capability is limited due to the weak interface bonding between the two materials. To overcome these problems, Cu nanoparticles were deposited on a graphite flake surface by electroless plating to increase the interfacial bonds between Cu and graphite, and then composite materials were consolidated by spark plasma sintering. The Cu content was varied from 20 wt.% to 60 wt.% to investigate the effect of the graphite fraction and microstructure on thermal conductivity of the Cu-graphite composites. The highest thermal conductivity of 692 W m⁻¹K⁻¹ was achieved for the composite with 40 wt.% Cu. The measured coefficients of thermal expansion of the composites ranged from 5.36 × 10⁻⁶ to 3.06 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. We anticipate that the Cu-graphite composites have remarkable potential for heat dissipation applications in energy storage and electronics owing to their high thermal conductivity and low thermal expansion coefficient.

In this work, the electrical explosion of wire in liquid and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) was introduced for the fabrication of Ni-graphite nanocomposites. The fabricated composite exhibited good enhancements in mechanical properties, such as yield strength and hardness, but reduced the ductility in comparison with that of nickel. The as-synthesized Ni-graphite (5 vol.% graphite) nanocomposite exhibited a compressive yield strength of 275 MPa (about 1.6 times of SPS-processed monolithic nickel ~170 MPa) and elongation to failure ~22%. The hardness of Nigraphite composite had a value of 135.46 HV, which is about 1.3 times higher than that of pure SPS-processed Ni (105.675 HV). In terms of processing, this work demonstrated that this processing route is a novel, simple, and low-cost method for the synthesis of nickel-graphite composites.

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• Top-down strategies for achieving high-quality graphene: Recent advancements
  Arpana Agrawal
  Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef

Spherical monosized pure aluminum (Al) particles are successfully fabricated by the pulsated orifice ejection method (POEM). The surface reaction between Al and the graphite crucible is investigated by analysing the microstructure and chemical composition of the materials. No significant chemical reaction occurs between Al and the graphite owing to the crystalline Al oxide (γ-Al₂O₃) layer generated in the initial state. The γ-Al₂O₃ layer is clearly observed in all regions between the Al particles and graphite via transmission electron microscopy and confirmed by the selected area diffraction pattern. The morphology of the γ-Al₂O₃ layer perfectly follows the surface morphology of the graphite crucible, which showed nanoscale roughness. This implies that molten Al could not directly contact graphite even though the surface of the crucible became rough to some extent. However, this passivation phenomenon allowed the successful fabrication of monosized pure Al particles. Therefore, POEM is a useful process at least to manufacture monosized pure Al particles.

In this study, Fe-Cu-C alloy is sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The sintering conditions are 60 MPa pressure with heating rates of 30, 60 and 9°C/min to determine the influence of heating rate on the mechanical and microstructure properties of the sintered alloys. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the sintered Fe-Cu-C alloy is investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The temperature of shrinkage displacement is changed at 450°C with heating rates 30, 60, and 90°C/min. The temperature of the shrinkage displacement is finished at 650°C when heating rate 30°C/min, at 700°C when heating rate 60oC/min and at 800°C when heating rate 90oC/min. For the sintered alloy at heating rates of 30, 60, and 90oC/min, the apparent porosity is calculated to be 3.7%, 5.2%, and 7.7%, respectively. The hardness of the sintered alloys is investigated using Rockwell hardness measurements. The objective of this study is to investigate the densification behavior, porosity, and mechanical properties of the sintered Fe-Cu-C alloys depending on the heating rate.

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• Effect of Milling Time and Addition of PCA on Austenite Stability of Fe-7%Mn Alloy
  Seung-Jin Oh, In-Jin Shon, Seok-Jae Lee
  Journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2018; 25(2): 126.     CrossRef

In this study, a finite element analysis approach is proposed to predict the fluid-structure interaction behavior of active materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are mainly composed of graphite powder. The porous matrix of graphite powder saturated with fluid electrolyte is considered a representative volume element (RVE) model. Three different RVE models are proposed to consider the uncertainty of the powder shape and the porosity. Pwave modulus from RVE solutions are analyzed based on the microstructure and the interaction between the fluid and the graphite powder matrix. From the results, it is found that the large surface area of the active material results in low mechanical properties of LIB, which leads to poor structural durability when subjected to dynamic loads. The results obtained in this study provide useful information for predicting the mechanical safety of a battery pack.

Composite materials consisting of pure aluminum matrix reinforced with different amounts of graphite particles are successfully fabricated by mechanical ball milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes. The shrinkage rates of the composite powders vary with the amount of graphite particles and the lowest shrinkage value is observed for the composite with the highest amount of graphite particles. The current slopes of time increase with increase in the amount of graphite particles whereas the current slopes of temperature show the opposite trend. The highest thermal conductivity is achieved for the composite with the least amount of graphite particles. Therefore, the thermal properties of the composite materials can be controlled by controlling the amount of the graphite particles during the SPS process.

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• Effect of processing parameters on the microstructural and mechanical properties of aluminum–carbon nanotube composites produced by spark plasma sintering
  B. Sadeghi, M. Shamanian, P. Cavaliere, F. Ashrafizadeh
  International Journal of Materials Research.2018; 109(10): 900.     CrossRef