Different samples of graphite oxide
(GrO) were prepared by modification
of the Improved Hummers Method reported in the literature. Graphite
was used as the raw material and KMnO4 and H2SO4 were used as chemical reagents. GrO samples were analyzed
by Raman spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction,
N2 adsorption–desorption, and thermogravimetric
analysis. The results indicate that, after optimizing the synthesis
method, the oxidation time was reduced from 12 to 3 h, coagulation
step was removed, wash step was halved, use of H3PO4 during the oxidation step was no longer necessary, the production
of graphite oxide per batch was increased, and the amount of graphite
that could be processed was increased five times. Therefore, synthesis
costs were significantly lower than those related to the published
Improved Hummers Method. An economic assessment for the industrial
scale demonstrated that this process could be viable from the third
year after its implementation.
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