Study on washability of microcrystal graphite using float-sink tests

This article presented an experimental research on washability of microcrystal graphite using float-sink tests.Chemical and X-ray analyses showed that graphite,semi-graphite,meta-anthracite,and anthracite existed together in this microcrystal graphite sample;and the intergrowth relationship between microcrystal graphite and gangues was very complicated based on optical mineralogy research.The results of float-sink tests revealed that:for the-25+0.5 mm size fraction,about 68%(by weight)of microcrystal graphite was obtained at the density of 2.0 g/cm^3.and the float product met the standard of commercial grade W65;for the-0.5 mm size fraction,58%(by weight)of microcrystal graphite was floated at the density of 2.0 g/cm^3,which met the standard of commercial grade W70.It can be concluded that microcrystal graphite may be upgraded by dense media separation(DMS)providing a float product using as the raw materials of casting or refractories.

Insight into the microstructural evolution of anthracite during carbonization-graphitization process from the perspective of materialization

Materialization of coal is one of effective and clean pathways for its utilization. The microstructures of coal-based carbon materials have an important influence on their functional applications. Herein, the microstructural evolution of anthracite in the temperature range of 1000–2800 ℃ was systematically investigated to provide a guidance for the microstructural regulation of coal-based carbon materials.The results indicate that the microstructure of anthracite undergoes an important change during carbonization-graphitization process. As the temperature increases, aromatic layers in anthracite gradually transform into disordered graphite microcrystals and further grow into ordered graphite microcrystals, and then ordered graphite microcrystals are laterally linked to form pseudo-graphite phase and eventually transformed into highly ordered graphite-like sheets. In particular, 2000–2200 ℃ is a critical temperature region for the qualitative change of ordered graphite crystallites to pseudo-graphite phase,in which the relevant structural parameters including stacking height, crystallite lateral size and graphitization degree show a rapid increase. Moreover, both aromaticity and graphitization degree have a linear positive correlation with carbonization-graphitization temperature in a specific temperature range.Besides, after initial carbonization, some defect structures in anthracite such as aliphatic carbon and oxygen-containing functional groups are released in the form of gaseous low-molecular volatiles along with an increased pore structure, and the intermediates derived from minerals could facilitate the conversion of sp^(3) amorphous carbon to sp^(2) graphitic carbon. This work provides a valuable reference for the rational design of microstructure of coal-based carbon materials.