The Effect of Expanded and Natural Flake Graphite Additives on Positive Active Mass Utilization of the Lead-Acid Battery

The effects of expanded and not expanded (natural flake) graphite additives were evaluated on the discharge utilization of the positive active material (PAM) in the lead-acid battery. Graphite powders were added to the paste at 2.20 vol. % and tested in model 2V battery cells under a wide range of discharge currents from 8C to C/20. The effects of graphite on the PAM pore volume and pore size distribution were measured with mercury porosimetry, and a good correlation was found between the pore volume of the PAM and utilization performance of the cells. It was shown that the powder characteristics of graphite can affect the PAM pore volume. A correlation was found between the graphite additives’ structural order and PAM utilization.

Exploration of Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Epoxy Resin Composites

The thermal degradation process of epoxy resin/intumescent flame retardant/flake graphite/hexagonal boron nitride (EP/IFR/FGP/h-BN) was analyzed by thermogravimetry. The effects of binary nano flake graphite/hexagonal boron nitride as synergistic flame retardant on the thermal stability. Flynn wall Ozawa method was used to calculate the activation energy of thermal degradation kinetics of EP/IFR/FGP/h-BN. The mechanism functions of the EP/IFR/FGP/h-BN in different reaction stages were determined according to Malek method, and the thermal degradation mechanism of EP/IFR/FGP/h-BN was obtained. The binary nanoFGP/h-BN is helpful to improve the thermal stability of EP.

An Evaluation of the Microstructure of High-Aluminum Cast Iron in Terms of the Replacement of Aluminum Carbide with Titanium Carbide or Tungsten Carbide

One of the problems with recycling is that of widespread contaminated steel scrap with an unwanted aluminum addition. In this paper, we will present a specific solution to this problem. The implementation of high-aluminum cast iron production has been considered. This cast iron is a cheap material resistant to high temperatures; additionally, it has increased abrasion resistance. Despite the above-mentioned advantages, high-aluminum cast iron has not been widely used in the industry so far, due to the difficulties encountered during machining and the occurrence of the phenomenon of spontaneous disintegration. The paper presents a method for replacing aluminum carbide with titanium carbide or tungsten carbide. This research shows that the carbide replacement procedure is sufficient in stopping the phenomenon of self-disintegration of a casting made of high-aluminum cast iron. Moreover, a new material was obtained, i.e., high-aluminum cast iron with precipitates of hard tungsten carbide and flake graphite. When considering the abrasive resistance of this material, flake graphite can be treated as the natural lubricant phase and tungsten carbide precipitation, as the hardening phase.

Synergistic effect between flake graphite and small-sized graphene in lithium storage

As anode material for lithium-ion batteries, graphite has the disadvantage of relatively low specific capacity. In this work, a simple yet effective strategy to overcome the disadvantages by using a composite of flake graphite (FG) and small-sized graphene (SG) has been developed. The FG/SG composite prepared by dispersing FG and SG (90:10 w/w) in ethanol and drying delivers much higher specific capacity than that of individual component except for improved rate capability. More surprisingly, FG/SG composite delivers higher reversible capacity than its theoretical value calculated according to the theoretical capacities of graphite and graphene. Therefore, a synergistic effect between FG and SG in lithium storage is clearly discovered. To explain it, we propose a model that abundant nanoscopic cavities were formed due to physical adhesion between FG and SG and could accommodate extra lithium.

Effect of Mechanical Vibration on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Gray Cast Iron in Lost Foam Casting

In order to reveal the effect of vibration solidification on microstructure and properties of gray cast iron in lost foam casting, Y-shaped HT100 gray cast iron was prepared by vibration lost foam casting, and the effect of amplitude on the microstructure and properties of gray cast iron was studied. The results showed that, with the increase in amplitude, the short and thin A-type flake graphite increases, and the austenite structure transforms from columnar to cellular. The hardness, tensile strength, and elongation of gray cast iron first increase and then decrease with the increase in amplitude. The appropriate amplitude in the process of Y-shaped HT100 gray cast iron by lost foam casting is 2 mm, while the tensile strength and elongation of gray cast iron are the highest, with the values of 147.51 MPa and 1.17%, respectively. The change of mechanical properties of gray cast iron is mainly determined by the morphology and distribution of austenite in gray cast iron and A-type flake graphite.

ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE SIZE OF FLAKE GRAPHITE INCLUSIONS AND ITS VOLUME CONTENT ON THE ACOUSTIC PARAMETERS OF CAST IRON AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ULTRASONIC LONGITUDINAL WAVE SIGNALS

Algorithms have been presented for calculating the velocity (in the approximation of a fine-layered model) and the attenuation coefficient of a longitudinal ultrasonic wave in cast iron, depending on the average size of graphite elements and its volume content, the calculation results for which are qualitatively confirmed experimentally. The calculation was performed using a fine-layered model of the structure, the graphite inclusions were described in the form of plane-parallel layers placed in an isotropic elastic medium (metal base). Computer simulation of acoustic paths for a mediumcast iron with flake graphite for standard direct converters is carried out in order to study the influence of such a medium on the characteristics of transmitted and received signals during ultrasonic testing. In the course of the research, a previously developed model was used to calculate the attenuation coefficient of longitudinal waves in cast iron with flake graphite due to their Rayleigh and phase scattering on graphite inclusions. Computer simulation of the acoustic characteristics of the signals of a direct linear probe with a phased array in cast iron with flake graphite was carried out, during which the shape of the acoustic pulses of the longitudinal wave was calculated, depending on the distance traveled by the wave and the value of the attenuation coefficient for various models of cast iron. The main modeled characteristics of the transducer include the directivity characteristic and the change in the signal amplitude along the acoustic axis. It is shown that for cast iron with flake graphite, there are cases when the directivity of the probe with a phased array transmitted into the cast iron is practically absent.

Research on Purification Technology of Ultra-Large Flake Graphite Based on Alkali-Acid Method

Graphite is a strategically scarce resource, and the preparation of high-purity graphite is the prerequisite and basis for the application of graphite. In order to determine the optimal purification technology parameters of an ultra-large flake graphite mine pneumatic separation ore with a fixed carbon content of 77.69%, a particle size of mainly 10 to 40 mesh, and main impurities of calcium carbonate, iron oxide and silica , two additional experiments of acid method and alkali method were added on the basis of alkali-acid method, to investigate the purification effect of different technological processes and acid leaching times on graphite raw materials, as well as to analyze the retention extent of different methods and alkali fusion temperature on graphite ultra-large flake structure. The results show that all three methods can increase the fixed carbon content of graphite to above 99%. However, compared with the acid method and the alkali method, the alkali-acid method can obtain high-purity graphite while also better protecting the graphite's ultra-large flake structure. The optimal fusion temperature is 400 °C, the optimal acid leaching time is 30% sulfuric acid thrice and 5% hydrofluoric acid once. After purification, the fixed carbon content of the product exceeds 99.97%.