science

Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons

Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons rather than just read about it. In short: Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons (alternatively graphitizable and non-graphitizable carbon) are the two categories of carbon produced by pyrolysis of organic materials. Rosalind Franklin first identified them in a 1951 paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society.

Key takeaways

Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons (alternatively graphitizable and non-graphitizable carbon) are the two categories of carbon produced by pyrolysis of organic materials. Rosalind Franklin first identified them in a 1951 paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society. In this paper, she defined graphitizing carbons as those that can transform into crystalline graphite by being heated to 3,000 °C (3,270 K; 5,430 °F), while non-graphitizing carbons do not transform into graphite at any temperature. Precursors that produce graphitizing carbon include polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and petroleum coke. Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) and sucrose produce non-graphitizing carbon. Physical properties of the two classes of carbons are quite different. Graphitizing carbons are soft and non-porous, while non-graphitizing carbons are hard, low density materials. Non-graphitizing carbons are otherwise known as chars, hard carbons or, more colloquially, charcoal. Glassy carbon, also known as vitreous carbon, is also an example of a non-graphitizing carbon material. The precursors for graphitizing carbons pass through a fluid stage during pyrolysis (carbonization). This fluidity facilitates the molecular mobility of the aromatic molecules, resulting in intermolecular dehydrogenative polymerization reactions to create aromatic, lamellar (disc-like) molecules. These "associate" to create a new liquid crystal phase, the so-called mesophase. A fluid phase is the dominant requirement for production of graphitizable carbons. Non-graphitizing carbons generally do not pass through a fluid stage during carbonization. Since the time of Rosalind Franklin, researchers have put forward a number of models for their structure. Oberlin and colleagues emphasised the role of basic structural units (BSU), made of planar aromatic structures consisting of less than 10–20 rings, with four layers or fewer. Cross-linking between the BSUs in non-graphitizing carbons prevents graphitization. More recently, some have put forward models that incorporate pentagons and other non-six-membered carbon rings.

See also Acheson process Carbonization Graphite

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons

In research: Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Allotropes of carbon, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons in simple terms?

Why does Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons.