Preparation of Expanded Graphite Using a Thermal Method

Abstract

This article reports a new way to prepare expanded graphite using a thermal method. Natural graphite was added to crystalline hydrate of metals with mechanical stirring at room temperature, taken in the number of 20-80% of the mass of mix. This was then placed in muffle furnace. All process of activation takes from 10 to 20 minutes. X-ray diffraction patterns were used to analyze the structure and confirm that expanded graphite had indeed been prepared. A scanning electron microscope was utilized to observe the morphologies of the expandable graphite and expanded graphite.