Sector Focus:Vitreous Carbon

Vitreous Carbon, otherwise known as “Glassy Carbon”, is a non-graphitising carbon and comes in many forms. In fact, Carbon can take on so many different appearances, properties or morphologies, you might go as far as to say it’s something of a shapeshifter. So, apart from its shifter superpower, what else do we know about it?

What is Vitreous Carbon?

Vitreous Carbon is a special form of Carbon that is non-graphitizable, which means that even in extreme temperatures, it can’t be converted into crystalline graphite. It gets the name Glassy Carbon because it carries a combination of glassy and ceramic characteristics with those of graphite.

Some researchers suggest that unlike graphite, Glassy Carbon has a fullerene-related structure, which results in a wide variety of unique material properties. Other experts suggest that Glassy Carbon has a turbostratic type structure in which poorly organised graphitic planes are arranged in ribbons like in polymers, providing isotropic properties. Glassy Carbon can be manufactured in several forms, such as foils, sheets, rods, tubes and foams, which are called Reticulated Vitreous Carbon Foams (RVC). It’s because of this combination of properties and forms that Vitreous Carbon can be used in numerous applications.

Properties

Vitreous or Glassy Carbon has a range of properties that make it a new and exciting material for research and production applications. Some of these properties include:

• Impermeable to gas and liquids
• High hardness and strength
• Corrosion resistance
• Good resistance to thermal shock
• Excellent electrical properties
• High resistance to heat
• Glassy surface
• A high degree of purity
• Low density
• Applications

Thanks to its range of desirable properties, Vitreous Carbon is a suitable material for a number of different uses. Below are just some of the possible applications:

• Electrochemistry
• Potentiometric analysis
• Electrodes
• Crucibles and furnaces
• Metallurgy
• Aerospace
• Nuclear sciences

For more information on Vitreous Carbon or to discuss purchase and order options, please get in touch with the Goodfellow team today.