Exfoliation of graphene from biochar

Abstract

A process for the efficient and cost-effective preparation of graphene from a natural source of carbon, resulting from the combination of mild, natural acids, including citric and acetic acids, with sonic frequency, as well as the use of magnets, to exfoliate graphene nanoplatelets from the natural carbon source. The natural carbon source, referred to as Biochar, can be any organic matter based and converted via pyrolytic and/or gasification means. The process includes tuning the frequency of sound energy to maximize the rate of exfoliation to a resonant frequency with the feed material itself, with a range anywhere between 1 Hz-1 THz. The use of magnets, including ferrous magnets, applies electromagnetic pressure on the as yet exfoliated Biochar fragments, which moves the fragments into the field of sound energy. The resonant exfoliation process that takes place within the bath itself, results in the hexagonal structure needed to produce graphene.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.