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27 Graphite

Graphite is a naturally occurring form of carbon that crystallizes in hexagonal layers. It is categorized based on its physical qualities and carbon content. Graphite has many industrial uses such as in batteries, lubricants, and refractories due to its conductive and slippery properties arising from its layered atomic structure.

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27 views5 pages

27 Graphite

Graphite is a naturally occurring form of carbon that crystallizes in hexagonal layers. It is categorized based on its physical qualities and carbon content. Graphite has many industrial uses such as in batteries, lubricants, and refractories due to its conductive and slippery properties arising from its layered atomic structure.

Uploaded by

Jyotiraditya Mishra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Graphite, also known as plumbago or black lead or mineral carbon, is

a stable form of naturally occurring carbon. Structurally, graphite is


known to crystallize in hexagonal system and occurs in layered &
lamellar form with grey-to-black metallic lustre and a greasy feel.
Natural graphite is categorized into three varieties: crystalline small
flake graphite (or flake graphite), crystalline vein or lump graphite,
and amorphous graphite (very fine flake graphite),
Both flaky and amorphous varieties of graphite are produced in India.
The quality of graphite depends upon its physical qualities and carbon
content. Besides natural graphite, there is synthetic or artificial
graphite which is manufactured on a large-scale in electric furnaces,
using anthracite or petroleum coke as raw feed.

RESOURCES: 194.89 million tonnes


Arunachal Pradesh accounts 37% of the total resources which is
followed by Jammu & Kashmir (32%), Odisha (9.7%), Jharkhand (9%)
and Tamil Nadu (4%).
Hardness: 1 – 2,
Density: 2.09 – 2.23, Av. 2.16,
Colour: Iron black to steel-grey, Metallic luster
Cleavage: {0001} Perfect
Sectile - Curved shavings or scrapings produced by a knife blade,
Graphite is a good conductor of heat and electricity, Fire proof, Acid
proof,
USES: Chemical Industry: accounted for 60%, Foundary Industry
(24%), Graphite products (Crucible, Pencil etc.) (9%), Others (Dry Cell
battery, cement, Iron & Steel, Paint, paper etc.) (5%) and
Refractory Industry (2%).
• as a vital additive for producing foundry coatings to prevent fusion of
liquid metal with sand at the mould or core face.
• Most important application of graphite : refractories: Mag-C, Al-C
• Clay-bonded crucibles, Silicon carbide crucibles
• as moderator in nuclear reactors
• in Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries (electric vehicles): anode material
(can absorb and hold the lithium ions between the layers in its atomic
structure)
• Expanded graphite-based sealing gaskets, Pencils, Brake-linings,
Brushes, Lubricants, Paint (Amorphous powder/ flake), Graphitised
grease (used in seamless steel tube manufacturing), Colloidal graphite
Structure: Graphite has a giant covalent structure in which:
• each carbon atom is joined to three other carbon atoms by covalent bonds
• the carbon atoms form layers with a hexagonal arrangement of atoms
• the layers have weak van der waal’s forces between them
• each carbon atom has one non-bonded outer electron, which becomes delocalised

• The delocalised electrons


are free to move through
the structure, so graphite
can conduct electricity. This
makes graphite useful
for electrodes in batteries
and for electrolysis.
• The layers in graphite can
slide over each other
because the forces
between them are weak.
This makes graphite
slippery, so it is useful as
a lubricant.
Action of Heat:
Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravirretry (TG) curves
for graphite, showing the exothermic effect and the weight loss due
to the combustion of carbon.

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