Project Director

Yang, Sungwoo

Department Examiner

Palchoudhury, Soubantika

Department

Dept. of Civil and Chemical Engineering

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

This project proposes the use of a novel melamine-derived graphene foam formed by high temperature pyrolysis under inert conditions for use as a thermal additive to absorbent crystals. The high thermal conductivity of graphene foam makes it an ideal candidate for use as a cheap, flexible, and light-weight alternative to previously used copper foam and metal organic frameworks. Following surface functionalization, graphene foam may be saturated with hydrophilic absorbent crystals. The primary objectives of this research are to optimize the synthesis process of such a graphene foam to obtain the highest purity product while maintaining foam flexibility and to study the foam’s material properties after saturation with a zeolite solution. Manipulated parameters in the optimization process include annealing temperature, annealing time, and ramping rate. Product purity is assessed using Raman spectroscopy. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is used to compare the deformation of the carbon foam before and after compression. It was found that high annealing temperatures yield the least flexible foam. A temperature of 800°C produced the most flexible foam. Annealing time was found to have an insignificant effect on flexibility and the effects of ramping rate were inconclusive.

Degree

B. A.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Date

5-2020

Subject

Pyrolysis; Water harvesting

Keyword

graphene foam; pyrolysis; thermal additive; water harvesting

Discipline

Hydraulic Engineering

Document Type

Theses

Extent

69 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Date Available

5-1-2021

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