The Wet Oxidation and the Structure of Carbon

Abstract

Abstract The reactivity of various kinds of carbon to the solution of potassium dichromate in phosphoric acid was examined. The samples investigated contained carbon blacks, graphite, pitch cokes, and charcoals. The rate of the reaction varied depending on the types of carbon, and the order of the reactivity was found to be in the order shown above. This is attributed to the modes of aggregation of crystallites. It was assumed that, in carbon blacks the crystallites are mobile individually for dispersing or swelling, on the other hand, in pitch cokes as well as charcoals there are some linkages to bridge the micelles with each other. This is supported by the results of the X-ray examination which was carried out following the steps of the wet oxidation.