(593e) Process Safety and Scale-up of Graphene Oxide Synthesis and Storage

Graphene oxide (GO) has been demonstrated as an effective additive for energy storage and composite applications, and large-scale production of GO is of increasing commercial interest. However, a number of process safety issues need to be addressed before scaling up GO production. In this work, the safety issues with GO production are addressed in two studies. The first study addresses the exothermicity of the oxidation reaction during modified Hummer’s Method. The oxidation reaction is studied in a Reaction Calorimeter, and the data show that the heat of reaction of the system is capable of reaching the decomposition temperature of manganese heptoxide. The second study focuses on the thermal stability of as-produced GO. The explosive decomposition of GO is studied in an Advanced Reactive System Screening Tool (ARSST). The data indicate that the explosive decomposition temperature of GO strongly depends on sample size, and pressure generation can reach 1000s of psi per minute for less than a gram of material. These results are beneficial in evaluating safer operating conditions for synthesis, post-processing, and storage of GO, particularly in large batches.