The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Graphite is a major carbon material utilized in various fields due to its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity arising from structure of hexagonal carbon planes. Graphite can be supplied through synthesis and is typically produced from fossil fuel-based precursors such as petroleum pitch and coke. However, fossil fuel-based precursors generate significant greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution, prompting extensive research on graphitizing sustainable biomass as an alternative carbon source. Although biomass-derived carbon is considered inherently non-graphitizable, this study demonstrates the formation of graphitic structures from cellulose-derived carbon. The cellulose precursor was impregnated with NaCl and subsequently subjected to thermal treatment. The structural and chemical transformation of NaCl-impregnated cellulose during the thermal treatment process was systematically analyzed, confirming the production of porous graphitic materials.