Oxidized graphite and carbon fiber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017537-A1
Application number	US-201514805580-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2010
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mechanochemical oxidation process that allows relatively benign oxidizers to be used for the production of at least partially oxidized graphite, and a method of preparing a carbon fiber using oxidized graphite and a fiber component. Partially oxidized graphite is fully dispersible in water and can be used to prepare thin films with conductivities rivaling pure graphite. This offers the potential for improved electronic displays, solar cells, and lithium ion batteries. A carbon nanotube and a method of making the same is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for preparing a carbon fiber, comprising:
combining a fiber component and oxidized graphite thereby forming a fiber combination; and subjecting the fiber combination to heat and a reducing atmosphere as to reduce said oxidized graphite to graphene, thereby forming a carbon fiber covered in graphene.

2 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the reducing atmosphere is hydrogen.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the heat causes the fiber to shrink.

4 . A method for preparing a carbon fiber, comprising:
milling graphite powder directly with a solid oxidizing agent to produce oxidized graphite; subjecting a fiber component to the oxidized graphite, wherein said oxidized graphite binds to the fiber component; and introducing the oxidized graphite-bound fiber component to pyrolysis and a reducing atmosphere, wherein the oxidized graphite is reduced to graphene.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein following the milling step, the oxidized graphite is suspended in water to form a colloidal suspension.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the reducing atmosphere is a hydrogen atmosphere.

7 . A carbon fiber covered in graphene as produced from the method of claim 4 , wherein said carbon fiber exhibits an increased electrical conductivity as compared to that formed by a Hummers method and comprises a resistivity of 50 Ω/cm 2 -8000 Ω/cm 2 .

8 . The carbon fiber of claim 7 , wherein said carbon fiber comprises a resistivity of 50 Ω/cm 2 -1000 Ω/cm 2 .

9 . The carbon fiber of claim 7 , wherein said carbon fiber comprises an increased tensile strength as compared to uncoated fibers.

10 . The carbon fiber of claim 7 , wherein said fiber component comprises rayon.

11 . The carbon fiber of claim 7 wherein said fiber component comprises PVA, nylon, cotton or polycarbonate.

12 . A method of making a carbon nanotube, comprising:
combining a fiber component and oxidized graphite thereby forming a fiber combination; subjecting the fiber combination to heat in a reducing atmosphere, so as to reduce said oxidized graphite thereby forming carbon fiber covered in graphene; and heating carbon fiber covered in graphene further in an oxidizing environment, under temperature and time conditions so as to remove the fiber component or convert the fiber component into amorphous carbon, thereby forming a carbon nanotube.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the fiber component is vaporized.

14 . A carbon nanotube formed by the method of claim 12 .

Assignees

• Blair Richard G
• Univ Central Florida Res Found

Inventors

• Blair Richard G

Classifications

• C01B31/0446

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• D06M11/74 Primary

  with carbon or graphite; with carbides; with graphitic acids or their salts · CPC title

• D06M2101/40

  Fibres of carbon · CPC title

• D01F9/21

  from macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• D01F9/16

  from products of vegetable origin or derivatives thereof, e.g. from cellulose acetate (D01F9/18 takes precedence) · CPC title