Abstract
Petroleum coke is a solid, carbonaceous by-product of oil refining and is normally used for heating or as an anode in aluminum and steel production. These applications contribute to carbon emissions, but here we show that petroleum coke has another potential avenue: as a precursor for graphene production. This path presents an environmentally and economically sustainable use for a low-value industrial stream. Electrochemical exfoliation is used to produce graphene nanosheets from petroleum coke, rather than graphite. The final product is separated from the unreacted material by a two-step centrifuging process. SEM and TEM images confirm that the final product contains few-layered nanosheets, and the Raman spectra confirm that the exfoliated coke product is indeed graphene. Post-annealing of this product substantially increases the electrical conductivity. This new finding holds potential for the petroleum industry to produce a value-added nanomaterial and enhance the economic impact of slurry oil and slurry oil-derived coke streams by orders of magnitude; this route also allows these streams to be directed away from high-emissions uses.
Highlights
With the continuing rise in concern over sustainable resource use, the petrochemical industry faces challenges in managing each of its product streams
electrochemical exfoliation (ECE) of coke Here, we show that petroleum cokes can be electrochemically exfoliated into graphene-like structures
The field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images in Fig. 2 show the layered structure of CK1, with layer thicknesses that can be
Summary
With the continuing rise in concern over sustainable resource use, the petrochemical industry faces challenges in managing each of its product streams. Coke is used in the steel and aluminum industries as an anode for smelting, a process that emits greenhouse gases[2]. These concerns highlight the global need to repurpose existing petroleum streams such as coke and its precursor oils toward sustainable end-uses (Fig. 1). The economics of possible coke-to-graphene processes are quite striking: needle coke, the highest quality grade of petroleum coke, can be used for electrodes in steel production and can be purchased for ~$1500–3000/ton. Can needle coke be a more permanent feedstock for graphene production, but this avenue the petroleum portfolio away from high-emission end-uses
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