Turbostratic graphite

The carbon atoms within each layer are arranged in almost the same manner as in graphite. The layers are nearly parallel to each other however, the relative position of these layers is random, so that there is no order as in the c direction of graphite ( turbostratic structure ) [4.3]. X-ray diffraction permits the determination of crystalline regions within the carbon black primary particle. These regions are... 

Hexagonal graphite Rhombohedral graphite Turbostratic structure... 

The composition varies with the heat treatment and the end point according to x-ray diffraction studies it is a form of carbon that reconverts to weU-ordered graphite on heating to 1800°C. Before the use of x-rays, chemists used the Brodie reaction to differentiate between graphitic carbons and turbostratic carbons. Turbostratic carbons yield a brown solution of humic acids, whereas further oxidation of graphite oxide produces mellitic acid (benzenehexacarboxyhc acid) [517-60-2] ... 

A method for physically separating turbostratic carbon and graphite involves shaking a sample into suspension in ethylene bromide of sp gr 2.17 and centrifliging. The method is unreflable except where fine carbon and coarse graphite are admixed it can be an aid in quaUtative examination. 

It has been established that, when mesophase pitch is carbonized, the morphology of the pitch is the primary factor [20] in determining the microstructure of the resulting graphitic material. This may be attributed to the stacking behavior of mesophase molecules (quite similar to the planar stacking in turbostratic graphite), which may be visualized as shown in Fig. 5. 

PAN fibers develop a structure with little point-to-point relationship between atoms in neighboring basal planes. This structure is labeled the turbostratic configuration and is characterized by interplanar spacing values greater than 0.344 nm. The crystallite size in the direction normal to the basal planes, or stack height (L, ), in turbostratic graphite is typically less than 5 nm. 

Graphitic carbon normally refers to soft carbon heated above about 2100°C. The probability of finding turbostratie disorder begins to decrease as the heat-treatment temperature increases to above 2100°C. When the heating temperature reaehes above 3000°C, graphite forms. Coneeptually, graphite is a graphitic carbon with no or very little turbostratic disorder. 

Carbon blacks are synthetic materials which essentially contain carbon as the main element. The structure of carbon black is similar to graphite (hexagonal rings of carbon forming large sheets), but its structure is tridimensional and less ordered. The layers of carbon blacks are parallel to each other but not arranged in order, usually forming concentric inner layers (turbostratic structure). Some typical properties are density 1.7-1.9 g/cm pH of water suspension 2-8 primary particle size 14-250 nm oil absorption 50-300 g/100 g specific surface area 7-560 m /g. 

Since the first bracket on the right-hand side is a constant and the second is an integer, it is evident that, for any particular /, some leeway must exist in the value of the ratio rj/G for the equality to be satisfied. Here too, the presence of screw helicity must affect either / , or G, or both. In view of the fairly small variations of G allowed if the hybridization of the C atoms is to remain sp, and since the deformation of the C orbitals decreases as the radius of the cylindrical sheets increases, the distance between successive cylinders must decrease and probably tend towards a value characteristic of turbostratic graphite. 

The basic building block of carbon is a planar sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure (called graphene or basal plane). These carbon sheets are stacked in an ordered or disordered manner to form crystallites. Each crystallite has two different edge sites (Fig. 2) the armchair and zig-zag sites. In graphite and other ordered carbons, these edge sites are actually the crystallite planes, while in disordered soft and hard carbons these sites, as a result of turbostratic disorder, may not... 

Graphite is commonly produced by CVD and is often referred to as pyrolytic graphite. It is an aggregate of graphite crystallites, which have dimensions (L ) that may reach several hundred nm. It has a turbostratic structure, usually with many warped basal planes, lattice defects, and crystallite imperfections. Within the aggregate, the crystallites have various degrees of orientation. When they are essentially parallel to each other, the nature and the properties of the deposit closely match that of the ideal graphite crystal. 

Isotropic carbon is obtained by the pyrolysis of a hydrocarbon, usually methane, at high temperature (1200-1500°C) in a fluidized bed on a graphite substrate.Under these conditions, a turbostratic structure is obtained which is characterized by very little ordering and an essentially random orientation of small crystallites. In contrast to graphite which is highly anisotropic, such a structure has isotropic properties (see Ch. 7). Isotropic carbon is completely inert biologically. Its properties are compared to alumina, another common implant material, in Table 17.8. Notable is its high strain to failure. 

Other types of carbon (amorphous or transitional forms with turbostratic structure) consist of fragments of graphitelike regions cross-linked to a three-dimensional polymer by carbon chains. Unlike graphite, the transitional forms are organic semiconductors with electrical properties determined by delocalized rr-electrons. 

Figure 6. TEM micrographs of amorphous carbon and turbostratic graphite in a sample produced by chlorination ofFe3C at 400°C.

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