Continuous synthesis of graphene nano-flakes by a magnetically rotating arc at atmospheric pressure

Abstract A novel approach for the preparation of few-layer graphene nano-flakes (GNFs) is presented in this paper. The GNFs are continuously synthesized by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons using a magnetically rotating arc at atmospheric pressure. The effects of magnetic field, arc current, feedstock gas flow rate, and feedstock gas type on the morphologies and microstructures of pyrolysis products are investigated and discussed. Results show that the microscopic characteristics of pyrolysis products are affected by the operating parameters. High temperature and high hydrogen concentration are considered the essential condition for the formation of GNFs. The synthesized GNFs are agglomerative flakes, where each flake is between 50 and 300 nm. Material analyses indicates that the GNFs have excellent properties such as a good crystalline structure, a low number of layers, and a large specific surface area. This indicates that the GNFs could be applied in fuel cells and energy storages. This method is suitable for mass production of few-layer GNFs since it is a continuous process with a relatively high yield (∼14%) and a relatively low energy cost (∼0.4 kWh/g).