Resumen de Thermal Analysis of Carbon Allotropes:: An Experiment for Advanced Undergraduates
D. M. Crumpton, R. A. Laitinen, J. Smieja, David A. Cleary
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed on graphite powder, diamond powder, and C60 powder. Each sample was subjected to heating (20-1000 oC) in a nitrogen and an oxygen environment. The graphite and diamond were stable in nitrogen up to 1000 oC. The C60 sublimed/decomposed above 775 oC. All three samples were unstable in an oxygen environment. The relative order of stability of the samples in oxygen at high temperatures was C60 < diamond < graphite. The isothermal behavior of C60 at 750 oC in a nitrogen atmosphere was also investigated. A final weight equal to 12% of the initial sample weight was observed.
