High temperature stability of onion-like carbon vs highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

Covalent Diamond-Graphite Bonding: Mechanism of Catalytic Transformation

Aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy of the atomic structure of diamond-graphite interface after Ni-induced catalytic transformation reveals graphitic planes bound covalently to the diamond in the upright orientation. The covalent attachment, together with a significant volume expansion of graphite transformed from diamond, gives rise to uniaxial stress that is released through plastic deformation. We propose a comprehensive model explaining the Ni-mediated transformation of diamond to graphite and covalent bonding at the interface as well as the mechanism of relaxation of uniaxial stress. We also explain the mechanism of electrical transport through the graphitized surface of diamond. The result may thus provide a foundation for the catalytically driven formation of graphene-diamond nanodevices.

Enhancement of the heat conduction performance of boron nitride/cellulosic fibre insulating composites

The continuous development of high electrical equipment towards high power output requires better heat dissipation performance of internal insulation structure. It challenges the traditional paper-based insulating materials, with poor thermal conductivity. Introducing thermally conductive and electrically insulating filler into cellulose-based insulating material can enhance heat conduction performance. This work provided a method to prepare thermally conductive and electrically insulating BN/cellulosic fibre composites. And the thermal conductivity of the composites was remarkably increased via grafting APTES and adding dual-sized fillers. The thermal conductivity of the composite reached 0.682 W/(m•k) that increased by 387% with h-BN loading of 41.08 wt%. Simultaneously, BN fillers improved the insulating properties of the resultant composites. The dielectric constant, breaking strength of and volume resistivity of the composites reached 4.75, 9.2 kV/mm^-1 and 4.72×10¹⁴ Ω•m, respectively. The resultant insulating material which has better heat conduction property may have a vast potential for future development in electrical equipment.

On thermodynamic equilibrium of carbon deposition from gaseous C-H-O mixtures: updating for nanotubes

Extensive literature information on experimental thermodynamic data and theoretical analysis for depositing carbon in various crystallographic forms is examined, and a new three-phase diagram for carbon is proposed. The published methods of quantitative description of gas-solid carbon equilibrium conditions are critically evaluated for filamentous carbon. The standard chemical potential values are accepted only for purified single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT). Series of C-H-O ternary diagrams are constructed with plots of boundary lines for carbon deposition either as graphite or nanotubes. The lines are computed for nine temperature levels from 200°C to 1000°C and for the total pressure of 1 bar and 10 bar. The diagram for graphite and 1 bar fully conforms to that in (Sasaki K, Teraoka Y. Equilibria in fuel cell gases II. The C-H-O ternary diagrams. J Electrochem Soc 2003b, 150: A885–A888). Allowing for CNTs in carbon deposition leads to significant lowering of the critical carbon content in the reformates in temperatures from 500°C upward with maximum shifting up the deposition boundary O/C values by about 17% and 28%, respectively, at 1 and 10 bar.