PROCESS OF DRY MILLING PARTICULATE MATERIALS

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention deals with graphene platelet nano composites with metal or metal oxide, and graphene platelet nano coated with metal or metal oxide. The coated and composited particles are useful as electrodes and for electrical applications.

Graphite is formed by many layers of carbon in highly structured platelets. These platelets, when separated from the graphite superstructure, are collectively called graphene. Graphene has interesting chemical, physical, and electrical properties. These properties make graphene a highly valued product. The quality of the graphene, as defined by particle diameter, particle width, and surface area, determine its industrial utility. It is advantageous to coat or composite graphene with metal particles for electrical applications.

Xg Sciences, Inc. headquartered in Lansing, Mich. produces a “C” grade graphene by a high energy, plastic media, dry, mechanical milling process. Grade size characteristics make it uniquely suited to coating or mixing with nanoparticles to form useful materials for electrodes.

The applicant is aware of U.S. Patent publication 2011/0111303 A1 that published on May 12, 2011 as showing a wet process for treating graphene with silicon.

Also, the patentees are aware of EP2275385 in the name of Peukert, et al in which a wet process is set forth for grinding particulate materials, wherein the grinding media is yttrium stabilized zirconia.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Graphene produced by media ball milling has very small particle size with a relatively high surface area. It is uniquely suited to make nano-composites or coatings by coating or admixing other particles. Metals or metal oxides can be coated or formed into composites with the high surface area, relatively low aspect ratio graphene. It is believed by the inventors herein that the materials of this invention have unique aspect ratios. Ground graphite admixed with silicon has an aspect ratio fairly close to 1, graphene from a GO process, epitaxially grown graphene, or graphene from an intercalated—heating process has a very high aspect ratio. The moderate aspect ratio graphene of this invention better coats 1 to 4 micron particles and better mixes with even small nano-particles.

Based on Raman spectroscopy with the aspect ratio, particle size, and/or surface area, provides graphene in this invention that is unique.

Based on the following table calculated from Raman Spectroscopy and measuring peak height, generated the following table.

Native graphite has a very high G/D ratio. Graphite ground to amorphous powder has the G/D ratio. the material of the instant invention starts high and tends toward 2 the more the material is processed. Amorphous graphite also has a G peak red shift to 2000 cm⁻¹. The material of the instant invention may have a small red shift, but from the quality of the data it is hard to determine. The very high surface area and aspect ratio confirms it is largely graphene nano-platelets.

Mechanically exfoliated graphene is distinct from ground graphite, in that, it maintains the strong crystalline sp2 structure. As graphite is ground to amorphous, the ratio of G to D Raman lines tends to 2 and the G line red shifts from 1560 cm⁻¹ to 2000 cm⁻¹. The G peak is referred to as the graphene peak. The D peak referred to as the Disorder peak. The more graphite is ground, the more the G peak is reduced and the D peak is increased.

If the added particles are larger than the graphene, they are coated with graphene, and if they are about the same approximate size, a nano-composite forms. The nanocomposites are useful for producing electrodes, especially for battery and capacitor applications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph of battery performance of a Si/graphene (200-250 m²/g, 100 minutes processing time).

THE INVENTION

Thus, in one embodiment, there is a process of dry milling particulate materials, wherein at least one of the particulate materials is a layered material, in the presence of a non-layered material, to obtain a composition wherein the layered material is exfoliated and wherein the non-layered material is composited with the exfoliated material.

The exfoliated material has a particle size of 10 microns by 5 nm thick, or less. In addition, the dry milling is controlled by controlling the surface energy of the milling media in addition to controlling the hardness of the milling media.

In a second embodiment, that is a process of dry milling particulate materials, wherein at least one of the particulate materials is a layered material, in the presence of a particulate material selected from the group consisting of i. ceramic, ii. glass, and iii. quartz, to obtain a composition wherein the layered material is exfoliated and wherein the particulate material is coated with the exfoliated material.

The exfoliated material has a particle size of 500 nanometers or less. In addition, the dry milling is controlled by controlling the surface energy of the milling media in addition to controlling the hardness of the milling media.

In, a fourth embodiment, there is a composited product obtained by the first embodiment and a coated product obtained by the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The graphene produced by the methods of this invention has a relatively narrow aspect ratio, greater than graphite. For this invention aspect ratios above 5 and below 200 are preferred and more preferred are aspect ratios above 10 and below 25.

The small, that is, 1 to 5 nanometers thick, and 50 to 100 nanometers diameter, high surface area (above 500 BET), medium aspect ratio graphene, is a unique size for coating with small metal or metal oxide particles.

The metals useful in this invention are the metalloid silicon, and the metals tin, iron, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, lead, gold, silver, titanium, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, copper, nickel, rhodium, and alloys of any of the above.

The plastic milling media useful in this invention has a hardness on the Brinell Scale in the range of 3 to 100. The plastic milling media is selected from the group consisting essentially of polyacetals, polyacrylates, such as, for example, methylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polystyrene, poly-propylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene-imide, polyvinylchloride, polyamine-imide, phenolics and formaldehyde-based thermosetting resins, and alloys of any of the plastics named.

The particulate metal oxides useful in this invention are metal oxides selected from silicon, tin, iron, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, lead, gold, silver, titanium, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, copper, nickel, rhodium, tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum, and alloys of any the above named metal oxides, wherein the metal and metal oxide particles have a size of 100 microns or less. Preferred are particle sizes of 10 microns or less, and most preferred are particle sizes of 5 microns or less.

Metal carbides, metal nitrides are useful in this invention, as well as non-layered materials.

Graphene useful in this invention is preferred to have a thickness of 5 nm or less.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Two grams of natural graphite and 1 g of micron sized Si (1 to 4 um) were loaded into a 65 ml stainless steel grinding container and milled in the presence of 24 g of polymethyl-methacrylate balls. The polymethylmethacrylate balls consisted of two different sizes, namely, ¼ inches and ⅜ inches in diameter. The high energy milling machine was operated at <1500 rpm and its clamp speed was 1060 cycle/min. The polymethylmeth-acrylate balls can be replaced with polycarbonate, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethyleneimide, polyvinylchloride and polyamide-imide to control milling efficiency, graphene size, porosity distribution and surface area at a fixed milling time, contact quality between Si and graphene surface. The surface area of the Si/graphene composite produced can be varied from 100 m²/g to 700 m²/g depending on milling time (60 to 500 min.) and Si/graphene composition and type of ball materials.

The result for the battery performance of a Si/graphene (200 to 250 m²/g, 100 min. processing) sample as an anode for a lithium ion battery is plotted infra. The Si/graphene shows high capacity (>800 mAh/g, electrode loading) over 35 cycles at 100 mA/g, which supports the low cost, simple, time-saving, environmentally benign, flexible way to produce high performance graphene-based composite materials for energy applications. Some fluctuation of the capacity is due to the variation of temperature.

Example 2

Two grams of natural graphite and 1 g of nano sized metal oxides (Fe₂O₃, NiO, CoO₃, MnO₃) were loaded in a 65 ml stainless steel grinding container and milled in the presence of 24 g of polymethylmethyacrylate balls. The products can be used as anode materials for lithium batteries and electrodes for supercapacitors.