Graphitization of Glassy Carbon after Compression at Room Temperature

T. B. Shiell, D. G. McCulloch, D. R. McKenzie, M. R. Field, B. Haberl, R. Boehler, B. A. Cook, C. de Tomas, I. Suarez-Martinez, N. A. Marks, and J. E. Bradby

Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 215701 – Published 23 May 2018

Abstract

Glassy carbon is a technologically important material with isotropic properties that is nongraphitizing up to $\sim 3000 ° C$ and displays complete or “superelastic” recovery from large compression. The pressure limit of these properties is not yet known. Here we use experiments and modeling to show permanent densification, and preferred orientation occurs in glassy carbon loaded to 45 GPa and above, where 45 GPa represents the limit to the superelastic and nongraphitizing properties of the material. The changes are explained by a transformation from its $s p^{2}$ rich starting structure to a $s p^{3}$ rich phase that reverts to fully $s p^{2}$ bonded oriented graphite during pressure release.

Received 17 July 2017
Revised 5 April 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.215701

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Elasticity Material failure Mechanical deformation Microstructure Phase transitions Plasticity Pressure effects Shape memory effect

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

T. B. Shiell^1,*, D. G. McCulloch^2,3, D. R. McKenzie⁴, M. R. Field³, B. Haberl⁵, R. Boehler^5,6, B. A. Cook², C. de Tomas⁷, I. Suarez-Martinez⁷, N. A. Marks⁷, and J. E. Bradby¹

¹Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
²Physics, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
³RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
⁴School of Physics, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
⁵Neutron Scattering Division, Neutron Science Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
⁶Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Branch Road, Northwest Washington, D.C. 20015, USA
⁷Department of Physics and Astronomy, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia