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Mechanically Induced Graphite-Nanodiamonds-Phase Transformations During High-Energy Ball Milling

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Abstract

Due to their unusual mechanical, chemical, physical, optical, and biological properties, nearly spherical-like nanodiamonds have received much attention as desirable advanced nanomaterials for use in a wide spectrum of applications. Although, nanodiamonds can be successfully synthesized by several approaches, applications of high temperature and/or high pressure may restrict the real applications of such strategic nanomaterials. Distinct from the current preparation approaches used for nanodiamonds preparation, here we show a new process for preparing ultrafine nanodiamonds (3-5 nm) embedded in a homogeneous amorphous-carbon matrix. Our process started from high-energy ball milling of commercial graphite powders at ambient temperature under normal atmospheric helium gas pressure. The results have demonstrated graphite-single wall carbon nanotubes-amorphous-carbon-nanodiamonds phase transformations carried out through three subsequent stages of ball milling. Based on XRD and RAMAN analyses, the percentage of nanodiamond phase + C60 (crystalline phase) produced by ball milling was approximately 81%, while the amorphous phase amount was 19%. The pressure generated on the powder together the with temperature increase upon the ball-powder-ball collision is responsible for the phase transformations occurring in graphite powders.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support received by the Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Program-Energy and Building Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research is highly appreciated. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Kuwait Government for purchasing the equipment used in the present work, using the budget dedicated to the project led by the author (P-KISR-06-04) at the Establishing Nanotechnology Center in KISR. Many thanks to the journal’s reviewers of this article for the serious reading and for their criticisms, kind advices, and recommendations.

Author Contribution

M. Sherif El-Eskandarany conceived, designed, and performed the nanodiamond sample preparations, testing, and characterizations. He has carried out all the related analysis and interpretations, and he wrote the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

I declare no conflict of interest, and there are no competing financial interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Program, Energy and Building Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, 13109, Safat, Kuwait

    M. Sherif El-Eskandarany

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  1. M. Sherif El-Eskandarany
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Correspondence to M. Sherif El-Eskandarany.

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El-Eskandarany, M.S. Mechanically Induced Graphite-Nanodiamonds-Phase Transformations During High-Energy Ball Milling. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 26, 2974–2982 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2711-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2711-x

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