THERMAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSES OF M ODIFIED NATURAL GRAPHITE

Natural graphite has been strongly chemically oxidized with the soluti on of peroxysulfuric acid. The produced intercalated graphite has been annealed by the thermal shock at 950-degrees-C. Samples of crude, int ercalated and annealed graphite have been examined by thermal and X-ra y microstructural analyses. Derivatographic tests showed that at 200 t o 240-degrees-C the exothermic decomposition of intercalated graphite occurred. Samples of intercalated and annealed graphite were more susc eptible to the oxidation in the air than those of crude graphite. Micr ostructural analysis showed that the strong oxidation of natural graph ite with peroxysulfuric acid does not change significantly its interna l microstructure.