• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.4851-4858
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• 2024

Matrix graphite is used as a structural material, thermal conductor, moderator, and secondary fission product barrier for fuel elements in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTRs). Due to its high graphitization degree and compressibility, natural flake graphite (NFG) is used as the main filler in traditional A3-3 matrix graphite, whereas artificial graphite (AG), with a lower graphitization degree than NFG, serves as an additive for toughness and gas permeability. Matrix graphite could be improved in terms of thermal conductivity, oxidation resistance, and irradiation performance by increasing the degree of graphitization. However, reports on the development of new matrix graphite formulations are scarce. In this study, MG-20 matrix graphite was prepared by mixing 60 wt % NFG, 20 wt% natural microcrystalline graphite (MG), and 20 wt% phenolic resin. Due to the high graphitization degree (higher than AG) and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of MG, MG-20 exhibited higher thermal conductivity (~6%) and lower CTE (~2.4%) than A3-3. Thus, MG-20 with higher graphitization degree and better thermal properties than A3-3 could improve the performance of HTR fuel elements in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.677-684
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• 1995

The effect of catalytic graphitization of petroleum cokes by the addition of aluminum were investigated. The degree of graphitization carbon body only fired at 230$0^{\circ}C$ was 0.5. But when the aluminum additive was added, the degree of graphitization was increased to 0.93. And Ts-effect was appeared as the catalytic effect. This effect was occurred by the formation-decomposition of aluminum carbide through the reaction of aluminum and cokes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2023

Herein we investigated the effect of the conductive agent on the electrochemical performance of the SiOx anode. SiOx anodes have a relatively low volume expansion (~160%) compared to Pure-silicon, but have a problem in that they have a poor electrical conductivity characteristic. In this study, physical and electrochemical measurements were performed using two 0-dimensional amorphous carbon conductive agents with different crystallinity and surface area. The crystal structure of the conductive agents and the local graphitization degree were analyzed through XRD and Raman, and the surface area of the particles was observed through BET. In addition, the electrical performance according to the graphitization degree of the conductive agents was confirmed through a 4-point probe. As a result of the electrochemical cycle and rate performance, it was confirmed that the performance of SiOx using a conductive agent having a low graphitization degree and a high surface area was improved. The results in this study suggest that the graphitization degree and surface area of the amorphous carbon conductive agent may play an important role in the SiOx electrode.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.413-419
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• 1997

The specimens which were prepared from cokes with additions of 0~25 wt% B4C were sintered in Ar atmosphere at 220$0^{\circ}C$. The effects of B4C content on graphitization and oxidation resistance of cokes were investigated. B4C accelerates the graphitization of cokes and at 220$0^{\circ}C$ the degree of graphitization increased from 0.33 which is the value of pure carbon to 0.56, which increased bluk density and porosity. Especially bending strength increased as th graphitization temperature increased. Oxidation resistance property was greatly improved when B4C was added more than 10wt% at 80$0^{\circ}C$ and when B4C was added more than 20wt% at 100$0^{\circ}C$. This was because that the thin layer of B2O3 glass phase on the surface of the composite could be identified to increase the oxidation resistance.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.162-169
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• 2024

In this study, PAN(polyacrylonitrile)-based precursor fibers were produced through a wet-spinning process, and their morphologies and graphitization behavior were investigated in the presence of two graphitization catalysts (Ca, Ni). The graphitization catalysts were introduced into the formed pores during hot-water stretching of wet-spun PAN-based precursor fibers. The catalytic effects of graphitization catalysts were examined through crystal structure and Raman analysis. At a relatively low temperature of 1500℃, the graphitization was not significantly affected, whereas at a high temperature of 2400℃, the obtained I_D/I_G value of graphite fiber (GF-Ni100) was decreased by about twice (~0.28) compared to the untreated fibers (GF-AS~0.54). By comparing the I_D/I_G values (GF-Ca100~0.42: GF-Ni100~0.28) of Ca and Ni graphitization catalyst, it was found that the degree of graphitization of Ni graphitization catalyst showed higher influence than that of Ca graphitization catalyst. Moreover, 2D band was also observed, indicating that the graphite plane structures composed of multiple layers were developed. XRD results confirmed that the crystal inter-planar distance (d₀₀₂) of the graphite crystal was slightly decreased after the treatment with the graphitization catalyst, But, the crystal size of Ca-treated graphite fiber (GF-Ca100) was increased by up to ~5 nm.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.816-822
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• 1996

Dependence of graphitic structure on oxidation of carbon materials was discussed using furan resin-derived carbon with inorganic compounds such as SiC and TiO2 Oxidation of carbon was governed by active site. I. e surface area regardless of the degree of graphitization. When oxidation was considered for not unit weight but unit area graphitization was important factor for oxidation so that the degree of graphitization increased the oxidation rate was delayed. Graphite (tiO2 addition) and turbostratic graphite(SiC addition) were oxidized through the same mechanism. In carbon materials with different structure components more than 2 oxidation of each component was different and amorphous component without the influence of additives on the surface was selectively oxidized in the intial oxidation stage.

• Carbon letters
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.241-244
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• 2006

Carbon/Carbon composite was been manufactured by the technology of warmer-molding process of clutter chopped carbon fiber, using phenolic resin as an adhesive. The degree of graphitization, the microstructure and the friction properties were studied. The results show that the clutter chopped carbon fiber fully scatter in the Carbon/Carbon composite and the degree of graphitization of phenolic resin can reach up to 86.2%, this matrix carbon can form the continuous and stable graphitic thin film on the friction surface during braking process so that the composite has fine friction properties and low wear rate.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.111-116
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• 2003

Carbon/carbon composites were developed using PAN based carbon fibres and phenolic resin as matrix in different volume fractions and heat treated to temperatures between $1000^{\circ}C$ to $2500^{\circ}C$. Although both the starting precursors are nongraphitizing hard carbons individually, their composites lead to very interesting properties e.g. x-ray diffractograms show the development of graphitic phase for composites having fibre volume fractions of 30~40%. Consequently the electrical resistivity of such composites reaches a value of $0.8\;m{\Omega}cm$, very close to highly graphitic material. However, it was found that by increasing the fibre volume fraction to 50~60%, the trend is reversed. Optical microscopy of the composites also reveals the development of strong columnar type microstructure at the fibre (matrix interface due to stress graphitization of the matrix. The study forcasts a unique possibility of producing high thermal conductivity carbon/carbon composites starting with carbon fibres in the chopped form only.

• Carbon letters
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• v.24
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• pp.97-102
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• 2017

Graphite fibers are materials with a high specific modulus that have attracted much interest in the aerospace industry, but their high manufacturing cost and low yield are still problems that prevent their wide applications in practice. This paper presents a laser-based process for graphitization of carbon fiber (CF) and explores the effect of laser radiation on the microstructure of CF. The obtained Raman spectra indicate that the outer surface of CF evolves from turbostratic structures into a three-dimensional ordered state after being irradiated by a laser. The X-ray diffraction data revealed that the growth of crystallite was parallel to the fiber axis, and the interlayer spacing $d_{002}$ decreased from 0.353 to 0.345 nm. The results of scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface of irradiated CFs was rougher than that of the unirradiated ones and there were scale-like small fragments that had peeled off from the fibers. The tensile modulus increased by 17.51% and the Weibull average tensile strength decreased by 30.53% after being irradiated by a laser. These results demonstrate that the laser irradiation was able to increase the graphitization degree of the CFs, which showed some properties comparable to graphite fibers.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 1996

In copper continuous casting, the soot, which is the incomplete pyrolitic product of acetylene, has been used as a mold coat. In this work, under constant acetylene pressure, the characteristics of soot and the optimum condition of sooting were investigated with different acetylene and oxygen flow rate. The soot particles deposited on the mold surface had mainly spherical shape and their sizes were about 20nm. After reaction with melt, their shapes were changed into polygonal type due to the graphitization. With increasing oxygen flow rate up to $0.6{\ell}/min$, the amount of residues of soot after heat treatment were kept nearly constant. But the amount of residues increased rapidly with further increasing oxygen flow rate. Degree of graphitization was maximum at $0.4{\ell}/min$ and $5{\ell}/min$ of oxygen and acetylene flow rate, respectively.