Skip to main content

Application and Popular Uses of Graphite

 Graphite, archaically referred to as plumbago, is a crystalline type of the element carbon with its atoms organized in a very hexagonal structure. It happens naturally during this kind and is the most stable kind of carbon under standard conditions. Under high pressures and temperatures it converts to diamond. Graphite is utilized in pencils and lubricants. It’s a good conductor of heat and electricity. Its high conductivity makes it helpful in electronic product like electrodes, batteries, and solar panels.

The principal types of natural graphite, each occurring in different types of ore deposits, are

  • A crystalline small flake of graphite (or flake graphite) occurs as isolated, flat, plate-like particles with hexagonal edges if unbroken. When broken the edges can be irregular or angular;
  • Amorphous graphite: very fine flake graphite is sometimes called amorphous;
  • Lump graphite (or vein graphite) occurs in fissure veins or fractures and appears as massive platy intergrowths of fibrous or acicular crystalline aggregates, and is probably hydrothermal in origin.
  • Highly ordered pyrolytic graphite refers to graphite with an angular spread between the graphite sheets of less than 1°.
  • The name “graphite fiber” is sometimes used to refer to carbon fibres or carbon fiber-reinforced polymer.

Graphite occurs in metamorphic rocks as a result of the reduction of sedimentary carbon compounds during metamorphism. It also occurs in igneous rocks and in meteorites. Minerals associated with graphite include quartz, calcite, micas and tourmaline. The principal export sources of mined graphite are in order of tonnage: China, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Madagascar.

In meteorites, graphite occurs with troilite and silicate minerals. Small graphitic crystals in meteoritic iron are called cliftonite. Some microscopic grains have distinctive isotopic compositions, indicating that they were formed before the Solar system. They are one of about 12 known types of minerals that predate the Solar System and have also been detected in molecular clouds. These minerals were formed in the ejecta when supernovae exploded or low to intermediate-sized stars expelled their outer envelopes late in their lives. Graphite may be the second or third oldest mineral in the Universe.

Historically, graphite was called black lead or plumbago. Plumbago was commonly used in its massive mineral form. Both of these names arise from confusion with the similar-appearing lead ores, particularly galena. The Latin word for lead, plumbum, gave its name to the English term for this grey metallic-sheened mineral and even to the leadworts or plumbagos, plants with flowers that resemble this colour.

The term black lead usually refers to powdered or processed graphite, matte black in color.

Uses of natural graphite

Natural graphite is mostly used for refractories, batteries, steelmaking, expanded graphite, brake linings, foundry facings and lubricants.

  • Refractories
  • Batteries
  • Steelmaking
  • Brake linings
  • Foundry facings and lubricants
  • Pencils
  • Other uses

Natural graphite has found uses in zinc-carbon batteries, electric motor brushes, and various specialized applications. Graphite of various hardness or softness ends up in totally different qualities and tones when used as an artistic medium. Railroads would usually combine powdered graphite with waste oil or linseed oil to make a heat-resistant protective coating for the exposed portions of a steam locomotive’s boiler, like the smoke box or lower a part of the furnace.

A high-quality flake graphite product that closely resembles natural flake graphite may be made up of steelmaking kish. Kish may be a large-volume near-molten waste skimmed from the molten iron feed to a basic oxygen furnace, and consists of a mixture of graphite (precipitated out of the supersaturated iron), lime-rich slag, and a few iron. The iron is recycled on site, leaving a mixture of graphite and slag. The simplest recovery method uses hydraulic classification (which utilizes a flow of water to separate minerals by specific gravity: graphite is light-weight and settles nearly last) to urge a 70th graphite rough concentrate. Leaching this concentrate with hydrochloric acid gives a 95th graphite product with a flake size ranging from 10 meshes down.

We at KERONE have a team of experts to help you with your need for Graphite in various products range from our wide experience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Different Types of Sterilization Process

  Sterilization can be accomplished by an amalgamation of heat, chemicals, irradiation, high pressure and filtration such as steam under pressure, dry heat, ultraviolet radiation, gas vapour sterilants, chlorine dioxide gas etc. Successful sterilization strategies are necessary for working in a lab and negligence of this could lead to severe consequences, it could unexpectedly cost a life. So what are the more frequently utilized methods of sterilization in the laboratory, and how do they work? The Sterilization is conveyed out by the methods according to requirement. The methods are: 1. Moist Heat Sterilization 2. Dry Heat Sterilization 3. Gas Sterilization and Others. Moist Heat Sterilization:  Moderate pressure is utilized in steam sterilization. Steam is utilized under pressure as a means of accomplishing an elevated temperature. It is dominant to confirm the accurate quality of steam is utilized in order to keep away the problems which follow, superheating of the steam, f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Microwave Continuous Vulcanization (CV) Rubber Curing Oven

Vulcanization is process of converting natural rubber or rubber polymers into more durable and mechanically strengthens rubber by the process of mixing sulfur and processing. This process results in changing the cross-linking bonds within the natural rubber and making bonds more strong and non-sticky.  Vulcanization curing is achieved by heating the natural rubber or rubber polymer at very high temperature along with sulfur or any other agent, such high level of temperature rise results into changing of bond within the rubber and resulting in non-sticky, maker it lesser deformable when heated, and removes the brittleness this helps rubber to achieve the desired level of elasticity. Continuous Vulcanization curingprocess is most common process used for variety of application. In the process Continuous Vulcanization curing rubber and accelerator is put under high temperature and pressure, this mixture is passed through the continuous heating line during the process, some of C-...
3 comments
Read more

Organic Food and its increasing consumer demand

Organic Food Processing  is where organic raw materials are processed into food and drink. The organics standard of food processing is to protect the food constituents so that organic ingredients are used, and encourage the avoidance of unnecessary chemical or physical. Organic labeling offers consumers, the confidence that the eatables they consume are produced under controlled organic standards. Organic food should be of high nutritional and high natural quality. With the growing awareness even the governments of various countries have setup a separate body to monitor the whole Organic Processing System, in India that being National Program for Organic Production (NPOP). India is one of the upcoming leading processors in this sector. Some private standards demand that organic food should fulfill the criteria of wholesome nutrition, where processing methods must be seen as relevant tools. Most processing methods have more or less strong influences on product properties. Heat...
Post a Comment
Read more