Title: exfoliated graphite
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - exfoliated graphite
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.E02263
Status: current

Definition
The product of very rapid heating (or flash heating) of graphite intercalation compounds, such as graphite hydrogensulfate of relatively large particle diameter (flakes). The vaporizing intercalated substances force the graphite layers apart. The exfoliated graphite assumes an accordion-like shape with an apparent volume often hundreds of times that of the original graphite flakes.

Note
Exfoliated graphite is usually prepared from well-crystallized natural flake graphite. It is used for the production of graphite foils. Exfoliated graphite is different from the deflagration product of graphite oxide (graphitic acid).

Related Terms
- graphite: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/G02684
- intercalation compounds: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/I03076

Source
- PAC, 1995, 67, 473. 'Recommended terminology for the description of carbon as a solid (IUPAC Recommendations 1995)' on page 488 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199567030473)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/E02263/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/E02263/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/E02263/xml

Citation: Citation: 'exfoliated graphite' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.E02263
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Accessed: 2026-04-19T03:30:48+00:00