Preparation of graphite oxide using modified Tours method by using raw graphite powder from jewelry industry waste

Abstract

In this study, we modified Tours Method for graphite oxide (GO) production. The raw graphite powder was collected from jewelry industry, in order to achieve the most beneficial value of graphite material instead of wasting several tons of graphite into landfill. To observe an alteration of the materials, the raw graphite powder and the produced GO were characterized their surface structures using scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as transmission electron microscope (TEM) for greater magnification. The crystalline properties were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the attached functionalities were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). Regarding to the study, the modified Tours Method showed a great potential for large-scale preparation of graphite oxide in order to utilize this material over a broad range application.