Advantages and Disadvantages of Graphite
Graphite is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. It is also a very good lubricant. It is not affected by acids or alkalis, and it is resistant to corrosion. It has a low CTE (Crystalline Thermal Expansion), which makes it easy to shape and form.
Despite the many advantages of graphite, it has some disadvantages too. For example, it reacts with oxygen to produce carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. It is insoluble in organic solvents or water, because the hydrogen bonds of the solvent molecules cannot overcome the strong carbon-carbon covalent bonding in graphite. This is why it’s important to use dry lubricants when working with it.
Another drawback of graphite is that it can leave black marks on paper and other surfaces when drawn on with a pencil. This can be a problem in artwork, especially when the artist is trying to achieve a precise line. Graphite is also less dense than lead, so it tends to be more expensive.
The largest consumer of natural flake graphite is the auto industry. Electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles require large amounts of flake graphite to run. The demand from this sector has been increasing rapidly, but the global mining industry has not been able to keep pace. This has led to the US government putting graphite on a list of critical mineral resources that are at risk of supply disruptions.
