VARIOUS FORMS OF CARBON AND GRAPHITE ARE USED IN A WIDE RANGE OF IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE IN THESE MATERIALS.

VARIOUS FORMS OF CARBON AND GRAPHITE ARE USED IN A WIDE RANGE OF IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE IN THESE MATERIALS. THESE PROPERTIES INCLUDE EXCELLENT THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY, CORROSION RESISTANCE, LUBRICATION, AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CATALYSIS. MANY APPLICATIONS INVOLVE BOTH THE SURFACE AND BULK PROPERTIES OF CARBONS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT DISCONTINUITIES AND GRAIN BOUNDARIES ARE THE CHIEF SITES OF INSTABILITIES FROM WHICH OXIDATIVE CORROSION AND DEGRADATION OF CARBON AND GRAPHITE PROPAGATE. THIS STUDY WILL INVESTIGATE METHODS OF ACHIEVING CONTROLLED MODIFICATION OF THE SURFACE OF CARBONS, USING FLUORINATION TECHNIQUES WHICH INTRODUCE FLUORINE AT SPECIFIC LOCATIONS, ESPECIALLY AT DISCONTINUITIES OR GRAIN BOUNDARY REGIONS. CHEMICAL, ELECTROCHEMICAL, AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THESE SURFACE MODIFIED CARBONS WILL THEN BE DETERMINED, AND SOME COMPARISONS MADE TO ESTABLISH THE BENEFITS OF THE PROCEDURE IN SEVERAL APPLICATIONS.