What is Graphite?
Graphite is a crystalline form of carbon and is found as a naturally occurring mineral in many locations world-wide.
Natural graphite is a soft mineral having a hardness of one to two (Moh's scale) and a specific gravity of 2.05 - 2.25. It is optically opaque, even on the thinnest edge.
It has a perfect basal cleavage and this, coupled with its extreme softness, gives it an unctuous, slippery feel.
Graphite melts at about 3,650oC and vaporises at about 4,500oC. At 650-750oC it slowly decomposes in the presence of oxygen to form carbon dioxide.
Artificial graphite can be manufactured from petroleum coke and is mainly produced for use as electrodes. The virgin by-product, having a carbon content of as high as 99.9%, can be an economic alternative to highly refined natural graphite in some applications.