Abstract

Demineralized Summit (DS) anthracite, DS annealed at 1673 K, and graphite are used to explore the effect of precursor order on structural transformations and H₂ evolution that result during reactive ball milling. Carbon structure was assessed before and after milling with temperature-programmed oxidation, X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy, N₂ adsorption, He density, and solvent swelling. Graphite milled in cyclohexene is primarily nanocrystalline graphite, with 8 wt % amorphous content leading to low-temperature oxidation, swelling, increased surface area, and mesoporosity. Milling the disordered DS leads to signs of increased sp² clustering, increased cross-linking, a significant ultramicroporosity with pores less than 8 Å, and low-temperature H₂ evolution. The carbon fraction of annealed DS behaves similarly to graphite in the mill.