Natural graphite is a black or silvery gray shiny mineral. The true density of ideal graphite is 2.26 g/cm³, coal is 1.3-1.9 g/cm³, natural graphite is 2.1-2.25 g/cm³, and diamond is 3.5 g/cm³.
Natural graphite has excellent thermal conductivity, which is between the metals copper and iron. The thermal conductivity in the α-plane is greater than that of many metals, being about 8.4-20.9 J/(cm.s.°C) at room temperature. The C-axis direction is about one percent of the α-plane.
Natural graphite has excellent electrical conductivity, the specific resistance of annealed copper wire is 0.267μΩ/cm, iron is 1.55, nickel-chromium alloy resistance wire is 15.5, daily insomnia is 11.8-15.7, amorphous carbon is 59.1.
Natural graphite has good chemical stability and can resist the erosion of most chemical reagents, it can resist most acids, alkalis and salts.
Natural graphite has good oxidation resistance, high ignition point, and also has good lubricity.
Since natural graphite has many excellent properties, it has a wide range of uses. The main uses are: manufacturing metal smelting crucible, metal smelting furnace of various refractory products, the most is the use of the world’s natural graphite production accounted for about three-fourths of the output. With the development and application of artificial graphite crucible, this graphite clay crucible has been reduced.
Flake graphite is the main raw material for manufacturing brushes and mechanical carbon. A large number of flake graphite was used to produce flexible graphite, graphite interlayer compounds, graphite electrodes, soft texture pencil lead core and so on in 20 century 80s. However, it is worth noting that the surface of flake graphite is smooth and has poor adsorption ability to binders, so it should be surface treated when used.
And amorphous graphite is mainly used to manufacture pencil lead (the amount of about 8% of the world’s total production of natural graphite), battery charcoal rods, electrodes and so on. The ash content of earthy graphite used in the production of electric charcoal should be no more than 13%.
Natural graphite can also be used in the production of lubricants, such as lubrication of steam engines, internal combustion engines, air compressors, bearings, slideways, gears and other occasions. It can also be used in sand coatings, paints, furnace brighteners, boiler treatment, explosives manufacturing, smoothers for artillery shell design and various other graphite emulsions.