Solvent-assisted wet milling of anthracite: effect of polar solvents on particle fragmentation and delamination

Anthracite is an abundant carbon-rich precursor with potential for the production of low-cost carbon materials with enhanced surface properties. In this work, the effect of three polar organic solvents—methanol, ethanol, and acetone—on the wet mechanical milling of anthracite was investigated. Milling was carried out in an attrition mill for 24 h, and the resulting materials were characterized by FTIR, XRD, laser diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, BET surface area analysis, and SEM. The selected solvents significantly influenced particle fragmentation, surface area development, and structural delamination. FTIR and XRD confirmed that the fundamental structure of anthracite was preserved after milling. BET analysis revealed a substantial increase in surface area for all treated samples, reaching 59.4 m2 g−1 for methanol-milled anthracite, approximately five times higher than that of the untreated material. SEM observations showed the formation of submicrometric particles and thin delaminated carbon structures, while Raman spectroscopy indicated solvent-dependent changes in the organization of carbon domains. The results demonstrate that solvent–surface interactions play a critical role in wet mechanical milling. Among the evaluated solvents, methanol produced the highest surface area and most effective particle fragmentation. This work provides a simple route for producing anthracite-derived carbon materials with improved textural properties.