By carefully selecting the raw materials and diligently controlling their process of manufacture the characteristic properties of electro-graphitized carbon products are adjusted to fit their applications. The degree of graphitization is one of these characteristics. The density of powdered graphite measured by employing the pycnometric methed, or the lattice constant or size of graphite crystallite measured by the X-ray diffraction method has served as a measure of the degree of graphitization. In this paper the results of the measurements of the lattice constants of commercial electro-graphitized products are reported.
Powder photographic and X-ray diffractometric methods were employed in measuring the lattice constant and crystallite size. Sodium chloride was mixed with the graphite powder as an inner standard for both methods. In measuring the diffraction angle by an X-ray diffractometer, the shift in the diffraction angle due to the absorption of X-rays by the specimen can not be ignored because of the amall absorption coefficient of carbon. Curves of relationship between the diffraction angle and the shift of the diffraction angle due to the X-ray absorption and instrumental functions of the diffractometer were prepared for convenience in correcting the measured diffraction angle.
Electro-graphitized electrodes, anodes, brushes, graphite blocks for atomic reactors and other electro-graphitized products of domestic and foreign make were used as samples. Judging from the lattice constant, only small differences in the degree of graphitization were found among both the electrodes and anodes. Carbon brushes of soot origin could be easily differentiated from those of coke origin by their
c0 values. 00
l diffractions of certain brushes indicated the existence of graphite crystallites of both soot and coke origins. The
co value of NCC-GBF grade graphite for atomic reactors was observed to have changed to a smaller value, i.e. to become more graphitized when it was heated up to approximately 2500°C. The
co value of a graphite electrode grade for a mercury rectifier was found to be about the same as that of natural graphite.
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