Method of producing graphene

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544503-B2
Application number	US-201314391253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2013
Priority date	Apr 9, 2012
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Graphene can be produced from the byproducts formed during electrolysis of coal. These byproducts may be electrolyzed coal particles, gelatinous film formed on the electrolyzed coal particles, or the electrolyzed coal particles together with the gelatinous film. The electrolyzed coal byproduct is deposited as a thin layer onto a surface, or carrier substrate 50 , which is heated to a temperature effective to form graphite while a reductant gas, such as hydrogen, flows over the heated coal product. The reductant gas flow carries the carbon particles and deposits them onto a surface 66 , forming a layer of graphene thereon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming graphene comprising heating electrolyzed coal to a temperature effective to form graphite in the presence of a flowing stream of reductant gas, said temperature being greater than 400° centigrade and less than 1100° centigrade, wherein the stream of reductant gas deposits graphene onto a surface forming a graphene sheet.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrolyzed coal is deposited as a thin layer onto a substrate and said reductant gas is passed at elevated temperatures over said thin layer.

3. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein said electrolyzed coal comprises a gelatinous material formed on electrolyzed coal particles.

4. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein said electrolyzed coal comprises electrolyzed coal particles coated with a gelatinous film which is formed during the electrolysis process.

5. The method claimed in claim 4 the depositing of the electrolyzed coal onto the substrate further comprising dispersing the electrolyzed coal in a carrier, using a gas sprayer to dispense the electrolyzed coal in the carrier onto the substrate, and evaporating the carrier.

6. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein said electrolyzed coal comprises electrolyzed coal particles.

7. The method claimed in claim 6 the depositing of the electrolyzed coal onto the substrate further comprising dispersing the electrolyzed coal in a carrier, using a gas sprayer to dispense the electrolyzed coal in the carrier onto the substrate, and evaporating the carrier.

8. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein said reductant gas comprises hydrogen and an inert carrier gas.

9. The method claimed in claim 8 wherein said reductant gas comprises hydrogen and nitrogen.

10. The method claimed in claim 9 wherein the reductant gas flows at a rate of 0.8 SLPM.

11. The method claimed in claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises copper foil.

12. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said temperature is greater than 490° centigrade.

13. The method claimed in claim 12 wherein said temperature is greater than 700° centigrade and less than 1000° centigrade.

14. The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising flowing a stream of an inert gas prior to the flowing of the stream of reductant gas.

15. The method claimed in claim 14 wherein the inert gas is argon.

16. The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising rapidly cooling the surface subsequent to the heating step.

17. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface comprises copper foil.

18. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrolyzed coal has been electrolyzed at a current density greater than 30 mA/cm2 and less than 200 mA/cm2.

19. The method claimed in claim 18 wherein the electrolyzed coal has been electrolyzed at a current density greater than 90 mA/cm2.

20. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrolyzed coal has been electrolyzed at a temperature equal to or greater than 80° centigrade.

Assignees

• Univ Ohio

Inventors

• Botte Gerardine G

Classifications

• C01B32/186

  by chemical vapour deposition [CVD] · CPC title

• C23C16/26 Primary

  Deposition of carbon only · CPC title

• C23C16/46

  characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) · CPC title

• C01B32/184

  Preparation · CPC title

• C23C16/463

  Cooling of the substrate · CPC title