Oil Sorption by Synthesized Exfoliated Graphite (EG)

In this paper a chemical method applied to synthesize exfoliated graphite (EG) is presented. In this method graphite intercalation compound (GIC) was firstly synthesized by chemical treatment of graphite flakes using a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids followed by thermal shock of GIC at 1000°C to produce EG. The bulk density of synthesized EG was found to be as low as 4.5 kg/m3. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used for identification and characterization of different materials. According to the XRD observations, the GIC was identified as graphite bisulfate with stage 2, and residue GIC and EG had nearly the same diffraction pattern, but with distinctly lower intensity. In accordance with SEM results the residue graphite bisulfate was swelled in comparison with the graphite flake. The oil sorption capacity of synthesized EG in this work was studied by common static and dynamic tests and compared with other sorbents. The results show the superior capability of EG for oil spill cleanup.