Graphite Minerals and Graphene, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Crystallography and Physical Chemistry of Minerals & Nanominerals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 959

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: graphite and graphene; mineralogy and mineral materials; clay mineralogy and application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: coaly graphite; mineralogy; organic-inorganic interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geosciences and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: graphite; clay mineralogy; molecular dynamics simulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Graphite generally occurs in three forms: microcrystalline, crystalline lump or vein, and crystalline flake. The microcrystalline graphite is formed through contact metamorphism of coal by large scale igneous intrusion. Flake graphite is assumed to form from ancient organic matters during long period of high-grade regional metamorphism. Vein graphite is assumed to be crystallized from thermal fluid. Graphite is a layered mineral with strong sp2 hybridization carbons within each graphene layer, and these graphene layers are bonded by the weak van der Waals interaction forces. The structural features endow graphite great physical and chemical properties, such as lubricity, conductivity, anti-corrosion, high melting point in non-oxidizing conditions, etc. The traditional applications of graphite are in the refractories industry, friction materials, lubricants, etc. Graphite consumption has increased with the rapid development of electric cars and energy storage power stations in recent years, because large amounts of graphite were used as anodes of lithium–ion batteries. With the depletion of high-quality graphite resource, demand for synthetic graphite derived from petroleum or coal-based byproducts under high temperature increases dramatically. People also try to synthesize graphite directly from coal to reduce dependence on petroleum and lower the cost. Meanwhile, the graphene first obtained by simply peeling off graphite with tape was found to be a fantastic two-dimensional material; its exceptionally high tensile strength, electrical conductivity, transparency, and being the thinnest 2D material in the world will significantly impact the future semiconductor, electronics, electric batteries, sensors, and composites industry. Considering the applications in future cutting edge techniques of graphite, many countries view natural graphite as a strategic non-metallic mineral material.

This Special Issue “Graphite Minerals and Graphene” welcomes original research articles and reviews on the following:

  1. ore occurrences of graphite minerals, and their exploration, exploitation, and separation and purification;
  2. structural evolution during graphitization, and the structural properties, surface activity, and modification of different type graphite;
  3. synthesized graphite under high temperature, the graphene preparation, and applications of graphite and graphene are also welcomed.

This Special Issue aims to contribute our knowledge on graphite minerals and its value-added utilizations.

Prof. Dr. Qinfu Liu
Dr. Kuo Li
Dr. Shuai Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • graphite ores
  • graphite crystal growth
  • graphitic carbon
  • graphite structural properties
  • graphene preparation
  • applications of graphite and graphene

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 6502 KiB  
Article
Quantifying the Impurity Distribution in Spherical Graphite: The Limitation of Flotation for Graphite Purification Explained
by Huazhong Dong, Yangshuai Qiu, Yigan Mai, Jilin Liu, Dahai You and Kangkang Sun
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1187; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121187 - 22 Nov 2024
Abstract
Spherical graphite (SG) is a crucial raw material for the preparation of lithium-ion battery anodes. The rapid advancement of Li-ion battery materials has imposed rigorous demands on the production of ultrapure SG materials. However, SG derived from natural flake graphite (FG) via spheronization [...] Read more.
Spherical graphite (SG) is a crucial raw material for the preparation of lithium-ion battery anodes. The rapid advancement of Li-ion battery materials has imposed rigorous demands on the production of ultrapure SG materials. However, SG derived from natural flake graphite (FG) via spheronization often fails to meet these quality requirements. This study investigates the physical and chemical properties of SG and the natural FG used in its production, employing techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, and various microscopy techniques. Results reveal that FG purified via flotation retains significant impurities, and the spheronization process yields only marginal improvements in SG quality. Most impurities are distributed in the intercalation of the graphite flakes, while a smaller fraction is contributed by flotation entrainment. These distributions were visualized using FIB-SEM-EDS analysis and quantified through additional flotation tests in highly dilute solutions. This study offers a promising strategy for determining the distribution of impurities in graphite minerals and explains the limitations of flotation in upgrading graphite materials from a more microscopic perspective. Furthermore, it provides practical guidance for further SG purification using hydrometallurgical leaching techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphite Minerals and Graphene, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 3791 KiB  
Article
Two-Dimensional Hydration and Triple-Interlayer Lattice Structures in Sulfate-Intercalated Graphene Oxide Nanosheets
by Hae Jun Ahn, Sun Jie Kim, Hyun Goo Kim, Youngho Jee and Seung Hun Huh
Minerals 2024, 14(10), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14101030 - 14 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Sulfate anions (SO42−) are pivotal in various scientific and industrial domains, including mineralogy, biology, and materials science. While extensive research has elucidated sulfate hydration in bulk solids, liquids, and gaseous clusters, a significant gap persists in understanding sulfate interactions within [...] Read more.
Sulfate anions (SO42−) are pivotal in various scientific and industrial domains, including mineralogy, biology, and materials science. While extensive research has elucidated sulfate hydration in bulk solids, liquids, and gaseous clusters, a significant gap persists in understanding sulfate interactions within two-dimensional materials, particularly graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. This study investigates the intricate hydration phenomena and novel triple-interlayer lattice configurations that emerge from sulfate intercalation in GO nanosheets. Utilizing a straightforward methodology for obtaining precise X-ray measurements of confined nanospaces, we analyzed the temperature-dependent behavior and structural characteristics of these systems. Our findings reveal how sulfate ions modulate interlayer spacing, the dynamics of GO layers, and phase transitions. This research offers an atomic-scale understanding of hybrid hydration behaviors within confined SO4-H2O nano-environments, advancing our knowledge of sulfate interactions in two-dimensional materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphite Minerals and Graphene, 2nd Edition)
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