Investigation on structural evolution and thermal reaction of coal-based graphite from Xinhua County, Hunan Province

To investigate the structural evolution and thermal reaction of coal-based graphite with different graphitization, the anthracite and coal-based graphite from Xinhua County, Hunan were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transformation electron microscope(HRTEM), and temperature programmed oxidation (TPO). The results show that carbon structure transformed from the amorphous anthracite to three dimensionally ordered graphite as graphitization degree increases. The coal-based graphite samples with different graphitization degree are composed of multi carbon phases, suggesting a heterogeneous nature of coal-based graphite, and ordered carbon phases were common in higher rank samples, however, defects can still be detected in most metamorphosed coal-based graphite. The multi carbon phases co-exist and inhomogeneous distribution have important impact on the thermal reaction of coal-based graphite.