An electron microscope study of synthetic graphite

Abstract

The ultra-microtome has been used to obtain thin sections of synthetic graphite blocks. The thickness of the sections was measured by shadowcasting and measuring the shadow length at appropriate edges. An average value of 150 Å was obtained. Transmission electron micrographs of thin sections showed moire patterns and the interrelation of these moire patterns revealed a characteristic grain structure in graphite akin to that seen in metals but with component microcrystals of smaller dimensions. The area of the individual micro - crystals forming the grain structure was measured and was found to be 0·11 + 0·074μ 2 . The boundary between neighbouring microcrystals was narrow and of around 50 A in width. Pores were visible at the junction of three or more contiguous microcrystals and were of diameter 400 to 800 Å. The selected-area electron diffraction technique was used to determine the orientation of individual microcrystals in the graphite sections. It was found that the hexagonal layer net planes were lying parallel or at a very small angle to the plane of the section. The electron diffraction patterns were also used to correlate the layer stacking faults in individual microcrystals both by counts of individual reflexions on the (1120) diffraction ring and by counts of the extra reflexions due to the long spacings between successive displaced layers. The average value of 13 Å found for the distance between successive stacking faults is equivalent to the distance between four hexagonal layer net planes. The moire patterns in the electron micrographs could be related to the long spacings in the electron diffraction patterns. It was possible to calculate the angle of twist between successive stacking faults from the long spacing or from the moire pattern. Dislocations were seen in many of the thin sections and were observed as extra terminating half-lines in the moire patterns; these dislocations were present in the hexagonal layer net planes themselves and indicated that there was in this region a considerable deformation of the benzenoid structure of the hexagonal layer nets. The measured frequency for their occurrence was 3·3 x 10 7 /cm 2 . Slip planes were also detected in some specimens.