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Microwaved coal turns into graphite
Researchers have discovered that coal powder can be transformed into graphite using a conventional microwave oven.
The experiment was conducted in an effort to find alternative uses for coal amid its decline in demand for fuelling electricity generation.
The study was published in the
Nano-Structures & Nano-Objects journal and led by from the University of Wyoming Department of Physics and Astronomy associate professor TeYu Chien.
A conventional microwave oven was used for the experiment due to its convenience and it providing the required radiation levels.
The coal powder was contained in a glass vial that also included copper foil to generate sparks when coming into contact with the microwave’s radiation, which reached almost 1000 degrees Celsius.
Researchers turn coal powder into graphite in microwave oven chemeurope.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chemeurope.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
LARAMIE Using copper foil, glass containers and a conventional household microwave oven, University of Wyoming researchers have demonstrated that pulverized coal powder can be converted into higher-value nano-graphite.
The discovery is another step forward in the effort to find alternative uses for Wyoming’s Powder River Basin coal, at a time when demand for coal to generate electricity is declining due to concerns about climate change.
In a paper published in the journal Nano-Structures & Nano-Objects, the UW researchers report that they created an environment in a microwave oven to successfully convert raw coal powder into nano-graphite, which is used as a lubricant and in items ranging from fire extinguishers to lithium ion batteries. This “one-step method with metal-assisted microwave treatment” is a new approach that could represent a simple and relatively inexpensive coal-conversion technology.