Purity of Graphite
Purity of Graphite
Pure graphite is an important material in a range of industries including refractories, foundries, lubricants and fire retardants. It is also used in electric motors as carbon brushes, gaskets and clutch materials.
The production of graphite requires a variety of chemical processes. It is generally mined using open pit or underground methods and then beneficiated by grinding or flotation. Often, this is followed by a post-graphitization purification step to reduce the ash content and boron equivalence to less than 300 ppm and less than 5.0 ppm respectively.
Graphite is a natural elemental mineral that is present in the Earth's crust and upper mantle. It is formed when carbon is subjected to heat and pressure in metamorphic rocks.
In the metals industry, graphite is primarily used as a component in bricks which line blast furnaces ("refractories") and to increase the carbon content of steel. Other uses include lubricants, carbon brushes for electric motors, fire retardants and insulation and reinforcements products.
The use of graphite in energy generation is increasing. Graphite is an essential material for the development of fuel cells which are now used in hybrid, plug in and electric vehicles.
As a high purity flake graphite, EV1's product is suitable for a wide range of applications. In particular, EV1's products are the main component in bi-polar plates that are used in lithium ion batteries.
