Process for producing humic acid-derived conductive foams
AssigneeGlobal Graphene Group, Inc.
InventorsAruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for producing a humic acid (HA)-derived foam, comprising: (a) preparing a HA dispersion having multiple HA molecules and an optional blowing agent dispersed in a liquid medium having a blowing agent-to-HA weight ratio from 0/1.0 to 1.0/1.0; (b) dispensing and depositing the HA dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet HA layer; (c) partially or completely removing liquid medium from the wet HA layer to form a dried HA layer; and (d) heat treating the dried HA layer at a first heat treatment temperature from 80° C. to 3,200° C. at a desired heating rate sufficient to induce volatile gas molecules from the non-carbon elements or to activate the blowing agent for producing the HA-derived foam.
Claims18
A process for producing a humic acid-derived foam, said process comprising:
- (a) preparing a humic acid dispersion having multiple humic acid molecules or sheets dispersed in a liquid medium, wherein said humic acid is selected from a group consisting of fluorinated humic acid, chlorinated humic acid, brominated humic acid, iodized humic acid, and a combination thereof and wherein said humic acid has a content of non-carbon elements no less than 5% by weight and said dispersion contains a blowing agent having a blowing agent-to-humic acid weight ratio from 0/1.0 to 1.0/1.0;
- (b) dispensing and depositing said humic acid dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet layer of humic acid;
- (c) partially or completely removing said liquid medium from the wet layer of humic acid to form a dried layer of humic acid;
- and
- (d) heat treating the dried layer of humic acid at a first heat treatment temperature from 80° C. to 3,200° C. at a desired heating rate sufficient to induce volatile gas molecules from said non-carbon elements or to activate said blowing agent for producing said humic acid-derived foam which is composed of multiple pores and pore walls and has a physical density from 0.005 to 1.7 g/cm3 and a specific surface area from 50 to 3,200 m2/g, wherein said pore walls contain single-layer or few-layer humic acid-derived hexagonal carbon atomic planes or sheets merged together in an edge-to-edge manner, said few-layer hexagonal carbon atomic planes or sheets have 2-10 layers of stacked hexagonal carbon atomic planes having an inter-plane spacing d002 from 0.3354 nm to 0.60 nm as measured by X-ray diffraction, and said single-layer or few-layer hexagonal carbon atomic planes contain 0.01% to 25% by weight of non-carbon elements.
A process for producing a fluorinated humic acid-derived foam, said process comprising:
- (a) preparing a humic acid dispersion having multiple fluorinated humic acid molecules or sheets dispersed in a liquid medium, and wherein said dispersion contains an optional blowing agent having a blowing agent-to-fluorinated humic acid weight ratio from 0/1.0 o 1.0/1.0;
- (b) dispensing and depositing said fluorinated humic acid dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet layer of fluorinated humic acid;
- (c) partially or completely removing said liquid medium from the wet layer of humic acid to form a dried layer of fluorinated humic acid;
- and
- (d) heat treating the dried layer of fluorinated humic acid at a first heat treatment temperature from 80° C. to 3,200° C. at a desired heating rate sufficient to induce volatile gas molecules from non-carbon elements or to activate said blowing agent for producing said fluorinated humic acid-derived foam, which is composed of multiple pores and pore walls, wherein said pore walls contain single-layer or few-layer fluorinated humic acid-derived hexagonal carbon atomic planes or sheets merged together in an edge-to-edge manner, said few-layer hexagonal carbon atomic planes or sheets have 2-10 layers of stacked hexagonal carbon atomic planes having an inter-plane spacing d002 from 0.3354 nm to 0.60 nm as measured by X-ray diffraction, and said single-layer or few-layer hexagonal carbon atomic planes contain 0.01% to 25% by weight of non-carbon elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.