Oil Sorption by Synthesized Exfoliated Graphite (EG)

Abstract

> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>In this paper a chemical method applied to synthesize exfoliated graphite (EG) is</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>presented. In this method graphite intercalation compound (GIC) was firstly</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>synthesized by chemical treatment of graphite flakes using a mixture of sulfuric and</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>nitric acids followed by thermal shock of GIC at 1000°C to produce EG. The bulk</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>density of synthesized EG was found to be as low as 4.5 kg/m3. X-ray diffraction (XRD)</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used for identification and</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>characterization of different materials. According to the XRD observations, the GIC</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>was identified as graphite bisulfate with stage 2, and residue GIC and EG had nearly</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>the same diffraction pattern, but with distinctly lower intensity. In accordance with</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>SEM results the residue graphite bisulfate was swelled in comparison with the graphite</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>flake. The oil sorption capacity of synthesized EG in this work was studied by common</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>static and dynamic tests and compared with other sorbents. The results show the</em> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>superior capability of EG for oil spill cleanup.</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" /></span>