Classification and Nomenclature of Carbon Materials
Carbon materials are ubiquitous in everyday life. They are in the form of everything from synthetic rubbers and soft drink bottles to automobiles and aircraft components. The versatility of these materials is due in part to their wide range of properties, from electrical to mechanical, which enables them to be used in a variety of applications.
Carbon materials are classified according to many different criteria. The most common are carbon source, processing method, and structure. The carbon source includes graphite, diamond, and resin-based materials, while the processing methods are typically chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The structure includes not only graphitic and diamagnetic structures, but also various nanostructured carbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene.
In terms of nomenclature, carbon materials are largely identified through acronyms in which the specific elements making up the material are defined. For example, the acronym “MTV” stands for a graphite–tungsten–vanadium alloy, while a “CNT” represents an array of carbon nanotubes. Similarly, an “AC” acronym identifying a carbon material made of amorphous carbonaceous material indicates that the material was synthesized using the arc-combustion technique.
Nanomaterials are a subset of carbon materials, but since they are constructed at a nanoscale, they often have drastically different properties than their macroscale counterparts. These nanostructures are often synthesized through chemical vapor deposition (CVD), laser ablation, or electrospinning in an inert atmosphere. Examples of nanomaterials include buckyballs and various carbon nanotube structures.
Moreover, carbon nanostructure materials are often further classified in terms of their shape. For example, a cylindrical carbon nanotube will have an “NCNT” classification, while a “NCNT/WCNT” classification will represent a multiwalled carbon nanotube with a cylindrical cross-section.
In this article, we have provided an overview of the different classifications and nomenclature used to identify materials made of carbon. Of course, this is only a brief introduction to the world of carbon materials and further research is needed to fully understand their many uses in applications ranging from electrical components to biomedical devices. As such, it is important to keep an eye out for any new advances in the field of carbon materials.
