Recovery sub micron-graphitized carbon from oil fly ash

Oil fly ash is known as one source of raw materials from which vanadium and nickel metals can be recovered. The current recovery process of valuable metals from oil fly ash is mainly the hydrormetallurgy one. Nevertheless, a great amount about 50~80%, of unburned carbon remains as byproduct after hydrormetallursy process. In Taiwan, if hydrormetallursy processes have proceeded, it can be estimated that the annual production of unburned carbon is 25 thousand tons. From the viewpoint of resource recycling, this study is a preliminary study and investigates in recovery of sub micron- graphitized carbon from unburned carbon by a designed process. The designed process included the following steps: 1.selecting a portion with +400mesh size from unburned carbon; 2.treating the selected in ultrasonic waves; 3.using a 400mesh sieve to obtain the product which is under 400mesh; 4.Removal ash from the product. In regard to treatment by ultrasonic waves in the designed process, treating time of ultrasonic waves is a simple and only variance in this study. The results indicate that the production yields increase with the treating time of ultrasonic waves; the production yield in specific conditions of this study can reach about 23%, in which ash content in product is about 2.5%. According to results of SEM, TEM and XRD, the products from the designed process are flakes in shape, several microns in size and graphitized carbon in carbon crystal phase. Except to graphitized carbon, there are a little carbon blacks, which are graphite 2H in carbon crystal phase in the products. Conclusively, the designed process is possibly applicable, by which comes to the recovery of micron- graphitized carbon.