Synthesis of Electroconducting Hydroxy-Sodalite/Graphite Composite: Preparation and Characterization ()
Affiliation(s)
1Department of Chemistry, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan.
3Department of Physics and Basic Science, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University, Amman, Jordan.
4Department of Geology, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
ABSTRACT
Electroconductive
hydroxy-sodalite/graphite composites were synthesized by alkali-activation of
kaolinite in the presence of sodium hydroxide as the alkali activator and
graphite as a conductive filler. Thermal, morphological and microstructural
properties in addition to direct current (D.C.) conductivity of the prepared
composites were investigated. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflection mode
(FTIR/ATR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope/energy
dispersive using X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX) and DC conductivity measurements were
used to characterize the prepared composites. The effect of the
hydroxyl-sodalite-to-graphite and NaOH-to-kaolinite ratios on the electrical
conductivity was investigated and evaluated on the generated composite
specimens made of Jordanian kaolinite or pure kaolinite. It was demonstrated
that increasing the mass ratio of graphite-to-kaolinite in the clay-based
composites increased the electrical conductivity of the resultant composites.
It was also observed that using 1:1 graphite-to-pure kaolinite mass ratio
showed the best electrical conductivity value of 3 × 10-3 s/cm, among the other mass ratios used for pure
kaolinite specimens, while using 1:1 mass ratio of graphite-to-Jordanian
kaolinite showed a conductivity of 1.6 s/cm.
Share and Cite:
Alomari, R. , Esaifan, M. , Hourani, M. , Amayreh, H. , Amayreh, M. and Khoury, H. (2019) Synthesis of Electroconducting Hydroxy-Sodalite/Graphite Composite: Preparation and Characterization.
Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry,
9, 25-36. doi:
10.4236/ampc.2019.93003.