Isotropic graphyte produced from coke to automotive aplications

Abstract

The graphite is an allotropic form of the element carbon consisting of layers of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms in a planar condensed ring system. Coke particles used for conventional synthetic graphite products are long and narrow. These particles produce a preferred structural orientation in the product after the conventional uniaxial pressing or extrusion with high anisotropy. With a properly election of raw materials and process is possible reduce the anisotropy to obtain isotropic graphite. Repsol-YPF has produced a binderless polyaromatic mesophase from petroleum pitch, which has shown to be very appropriated as raw material for production of high strength isotropic graphite with high performance and low cost. This graphite have offered thermal, mechanical, chemical and wear properties higher than conventional graphite. The isotropic graphite obtained is suitable for making pistons, valves, turbojoints and other automotives components. The pistons design with this isotropic graphite has been developed for an automotive petrol engine. Piston prototypes were manufactured and tested in engines at full power and at full torque. This paper analysed the physical, mechanical and fracture properties of the isotropic graphite obtained.