Graphite surface profile with different polishing treatment

Abstract

Graphite is a fascinating material to study in nanotechnology. Surface profile and roughness of the graphite are some of the most important parameters to determine many physical and mechanical behaviors including friction or bonding condition. To acquire certain surface profile, mechanical polishing treatment is one of the easiest ways that can be applied. In this work, graphite is polished by three different grades of sandpapers (P800, P400, and P220) and cellulose-based paper. The surface properties are observed by a laser microscope and various surface roughness parameters were quantified. The sequential polishing process employed in this work is able to modify the surface roughness and might improve the physical properties. This work sheds light on the importance of the mechanical surface treatment on graphite.