Abstract: A process for producing a highly oriented graphene film, comprising: (a) preparing a pristine graphene dispersion having oxygen-free pristine graphene sheets dispersed in a fluid medium; (b) dispensing and depositing the dispersion onto a supporting substrate to form a layer of oriented pristine graphene, including subjecting the pristine graphene dispersion to an orientation-inducing stress; (c) removing the fluid medium to form a dried layer of pristine graphene; (d) stacking at least two layers of dried pristine graphene to form a mass of multiple layers of dried pristine graphene; and (e) heat treating the mass of multiple layers of dried pristine graphene at a first heat treatment temperature higher than 2,000° C. under a compressive stress for a sufficient period of time to produce the highly oriented graphene film.

Abstract: A process for producing a highly oriented graphene film (HOGF), comprising: (a) preparing a graphene oxide (GO) dispersion having GO sheets dispersed in a fluid medium; (b) dispensing and depositing the dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a layer of GO, wherein the dispensing and depositing procedure includes subjecting the dispersion to an orientation-inducing stress; (c) removing the fluid medium to form a dried layer of GO having an inter-plane spacing d002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm; (d) slicing the dried layer of GO into multiple pieces of dried GO and stacking at least two pieces of dried GO to form a mass of multiple pieces of GO; and (f) heat treating the mass under an optional first compressive stress to produce the HOGF at a first heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. to an extent that an inter-plane spacing d002 is decreased to a value less than 0.4 nm.

Abstract: A one-step (direct graphitization) process for producing a graphitic film, comprising directly feeding a precursor polymer film, without going through a carbonization step, to a graphitization zone preset at a graphitization temperature no less than 2,200° C. for a period of residence time sufficient for converting the precursor polymer film to a porous graphitic film having a density from 0.1 g/cm3 to 1.5 g/cm3 and retreating the porous graphitic film from the graphitization zone. Preferably, the precursor polymer film is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide, phenolic resin, polyoxadiazole, polybenzoxazole, polybenzobisoxazole, polythiazole, polybenzothiazole, polybenzobisthiazole, poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polybenzimidazole, polybenzobisimidazole, polyacrylonitrile, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A process for producing a bulk highly oriented graphene structure, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene oxide dispersion having graphene oxide (GO) sheets dispersed in a fluid medium; (b) dispensing and depositing the dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a layer of GO, wherein the dispensing and depositing procedure includes subjecting the dispersion to an orientation-inducing stress; (c) removing the fluid medium to form a dried layer of GO having an inter-plane spacing d002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm; (d) slicing the dried layer of GO into multiple pieces of dried GO and stacking at least two pieces of dried GO to form a mass of multiple pieces of GO; and (f) heat treating the mass under an optional first compressive stress to produce the highly oriented graphene structure at a first heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. to an extent that an inter-plane spacing d002 is decreased to a value less than 0.4 nm.

Abstract: A process for producing a unitary graphene material, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene oxide (GO) gel having GO molecules dissolved in a fluid medium wherein the GO molecules contain higher than 20% by weight of oxygen; (b) dispensing and depositing a layer of GO gel onto a surface of a substrate to form a layer of deposited GO gel thereon, wherein the dispensing and depositing procedure includes shear-induced thinning; (c) removing the fluid medium from the deposited GO gel to form a GO layer having an inter-plane spacing d002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm as determined by X-ray diffraction; and (d) heat treating the GO layer to form the unitary graphene material at a heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. to an extent that d002 is decreased to a value of 0.3354 nm to 0.4 nm and the oxygen content is decreased to less than 5% by weight.

Abstract: A process for producing a highly oriented graphene film (HOGF), comprising: (a) preparing a graphene oxide (GO) dispersion having GO sheets dispersed in a fluid medium; (b) dispensing and depositing the dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a layer of GO, wherein the dispensing and depositing procedure includes subjecting the dispersion to an orientation-inducing stress; (c) removing the fluid medium to form a dried layer of GO having an inter-plane spacing d002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm; (d) slicing the dried layer of GO into multiple pieces of dried GO and stacking at least two pieces of dried GO to form a mass of multiple pieces of GO; and (f) heat treating the mass under an optional first compressive stress to produce the HOGF at a first heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. to an extent that an inter-plane spacing d002 is decreased to a value less than 0.4 nm.

Abstract: A process for producing a bulk highly oriented graphene structure, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene oxide dispersion having graphene oxide (GO) sheets dispersed in a fluid medium; (b) dispensing and depositing the dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a layer of GO, wherein the dispensing and depositing procedure includes subjecting the dispersion to an orientation-inducing stress; (c) removing the fluid medium to form a dried layer of GO having an inter-plane spacing d002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm; (d) slicing the dried layer of GO into multiple pieces of dried GO and stacking at least two pieces of dried GO to form a mass of multiple pieces of GO; and (f) heat treating the mass under an optional first compressive stress to produce the highly oriented graphene structure at a first heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. to an extent that an inter-plane spacing d002 is decreased to a value less than 0.4 nm.

Abstract: A process for producing a unitary graphene material, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene oxide (GO) gel having GO molecules dissolved in a fluid medium wherein the GO molecules contain higher than 20% by weight of oxygen; (b) dispensing and depositing a layer of GO gel onto a surface of a substrate to form a layer of deposited GO gel thereon, wherein the dispensing and depositing procedure includes shear-induced thinning; (c) removing the fluid medium from the deposited GO gel to form a GO layer having an inter-plane spacing d002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm as determined by X-ray diffraction; and (d) heat treating the GO layer to form the unitary graphene material at a heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. to an extent that d002 is decreased to a value of 0.3354 nm to 0.4 nm and the oxygen content is decreased to less than 5% by weight.