For many years, graphite has been in existence and is used in various industries. In the modern world today, it has countless applications. In this article, we will discuss some of the most popular practical applications of graphite. Let’s delve in.
Practical Uses of Graphite
Here are some of the practical uses of graphite;
1. Graphite in Semi-conductor Industry
Graphite plays an integral role in the semi-conductor industry. We use graphite in numerous processes from the semi-conductor manufacturing process to the actual applications.
For instance, you can use graphite heaters, graphite electrodes, and graphite crucible during semi-conductor parts manufacturing. On the other hand, while using semi-conductors, you can use graphite heat sinks or graphite heat spreaders for thermal management.
But, what makes graphite a perfect choice for these applications? Well, it has a high graphite melting point, excellent thermal conductivity, and electro thermal properties.
2. Industrial Furnace
Popular industrial uses of graphite are making furnace or furnace components. A good example is the electric arc furnace in steel production. You can use graphite electrodes alongside connecting pins to produce an electric arc furnace.
Furthermore, you can use an electric arc furnace to produce iron and other non-ferrous metals.
Additionally, graphite is used to make heat treatment furnaces. For instance, you will find graphite furnace lining, trays, heating system bolts, protective covers to other structural components.
But that is not all:
You can use natural graphite to raise carbon content in molten steel. At the same time, when extruding hot steel, graphite dies are highly recommended.
Ideally, the superior thermal resistance, lightweight, self-lubricating, and chemical resistance properties make graphite a perfect choice for most industrial furnace uses.
3. Touchscreen Industry
With the need for more interactive touchscreen panels, graphene is used to make a wide range of touchscreens. Remember, graphene is extracted from graphite.
Carbon graphene is known for its high elasticity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and hardness among other desirable features.
From flexible watches, and smartphones, to machine’s HMI – the most transparent and flexible screens you may come across are made from graphene sheets.
4. Graphite as Refractory Material
You can use graphite to make refractory materials. Refractory materials play an important role in various industries such as ceramic, electric power, and steel production just to mention a few.
Graphite structure contributes to high-temperature resistance in kilns, reactors, industrial furnaces, and incinerators. They can dissipate heat, and withstand high process temperature while ensuring a long service lifespan of your systems.
Notably, some of the important uses of graphite are in continuous casting, which is also popular today. Of course, this may also call for a little modification of graphite with alumina graphite being one of most popular.
Furthermore graphite block, and furnace lining were among the most common applications of graphite material in refractory.
5. Art and Craft Industry
For lovers of urban sketching or even plein air painting, powdered graphite is used to modulate the texture of most paints.
Closely related to this is the writing supplies and material where we use graphite to make pencils. Graphite is used to make pencil leads. However, to get a better product, you will mix graphite material with special clay.
Of course, you can classify making pencils as a common use of graphite in daily life. This is alongside using graphite as a lubricant in the pinewood derby.
6. Audio Industry
When it comes to headphones, graphene is used in making 40mm acoustic drivers. These drivers deliver the sound from headphones to the ear.
Besides, graphene drivers produce highly responsive sound with low distortion. As a result, it is a common material for gaming headsets.
As a popular nano-material, graphene offers better sound absorption and thermal stability.
7. Automotive Industry
Another industry that uses graphite material is the automotive industry. Some common examples of parts are the car brakes and clutches.
In clutches and car brakes, graphite is introduced to ensure their effects of friction are modulated. For car brakes, they are used as lining materials. Also, the use of graphite in car brakes enhances the energy from the contact area and prevents friction elements from overheating.
Remember, when it comes to brake linings, you may choose either natural graphite. Alternatively, using fine flake graphite can also be a good alternative.
8. Aerospace Industry
There are many uses of synthetic graphite in the aerospace industry. Graphite is used to make rocket nozzles and jet engine nozzles. Ideally, this is attributed to graphite materials’ high-temperature resistance, stability, and chemically inert properties.
Additionally, carbon graphite is used to make aircraft fuel pumps, bushing, bearings, and rotary vanes, just to mention a few. Even in these sensitive applications, graphite does not create sparks that can ignite fuel.
Furthermore, you can use graphite to make impact-resistant and lightweight aircraft parts.
9. Battery Manufacturing Industry
The uses of natural graphite are common in battery production. It is common in battery anodes. Notably, making anode is one of the main uses of graphite in batteries.
Of course, the applications of synthetic graphite in modern car batteries have been attributed to the reduced charging times. This is also alongside higher energy density.
The presence of graphite in batteries improves electrical conductance even as they stay chemically inert and stable to prevent corrosion. Remember, graphite electrodes are common in most lithium-ion batteries.
So, by using graphite, you will make your batteries more efficient and reliable with unmatched performance.
Additionally, it is important to note that the use of graphite in electric vehicles is increasing the high demand for this material. From Tesla to Nissan Leaf, they all use graphite in their batteries.
10. Automation and Control Industry
The automation and control industry depends on sensors to control various operations. In some industrial setups such as boilers, you need thermally stable material with high melting points and heat resistance.
That’s exactly where graphite comes in. There are many graphite sensors in the market.
Graphite’s excellent heat and electrical conductivity make it famous in the electrical world. Different electrochemical sensors are developed with graphite. Pencil Graphite electrodes or PGE are mostly used as voltammetric sensors.
Facts about graphite properties and performance, make the material the perfect choice for manufacturing sensors.
11. Lubrication Industry
Due to the unique atomic structure of graphite, it is ideal for making industrial and commercial lubricants. Graphite is used to make lubricants in solid powder form. Furthermore, other common uses of graphite include making dry film that offers long-lasting lubrication.
The weak bonds between graphite sheets contribute to the low shearing strength. That is, the graphite layers can easily slide over each other. The lubrication is also attributed to the hydrophobic properties.
Depending on your application needs, you can use graphite as a dry lubricant. However, in some instances, you can also disperse graphite in oil.
For tight spots, you can mix graphite with fast evaporating solvent. The solvent later evaporates leaving graphite powder as lubricant.
12. Graphite for Recarburising
Powdered graphite is used for carbon rising. Remember, the term carbon rising is virtually similar to recarburising, carburizing, or carburization.
Graphite is introduced in the form of carbon additives to some steels and irons. This is done to have carbon content and to enhance the final performance of the final product.
13. Nuclear Reactor Industry
Graphite is widely used in the nuclear reactor industry. You can use graphite rods in nuclear reactor systems. Here, they will help your systems in stabilizing nuclear reactions.
This is because it can take in fast-moving neutrons. Even in the plutonium production reactors, you can use graphite as a neutron moderator.
Of course, this also includes other graphite applications such as:
- Graphite sleeves
- High-temperature control rods
Among the key features that make graphite a perfect choice for nuclear reactor systems include low atomic mass and high neutron scattering cross section.
14. Electrical and Electronics Industry
The electrical and electronics industry has benefited from the graphite material. Remember, graphite is a good conductor of both heat and electricity.
So, whether you are looking for a material to use as a conductor or thermal management such as a heat sink, graphite forms a perfect option.
Graphite in crystalline flake forms is used to make brushes, plates, and electrodes. All these are needed in the electrical industry, also in dry cell batteries.
15. Making Graphene Sheets
You can use graphite to make graphene sheets. Graphene sheets are invaluable material in today’s industry. Some practical uses of graphene sheets include:
- Energy sector – rechargeable battery for energy efficiency and preventing possible overheating
- Construction industry – building insulation, prospects of “green concrete”
- Health industry – hearing aids, possibility of implant, prospects of muscles, etc.
- Electronics – electronic circuits, other electronic devices
There are many uses for graphene sheets nearly in every industry. Still, it is worth noting that there are many researches still in the pipeline using graphene oxide for disease diagnosis.
16. Sports and Recreational Industry
There are many sports equipment made from graphite-reinforced polymers. From tennis rackets to golf clubs – you will find many sporting accessories with graphite elements.
From graphite shafts for golfers to tennis rackets, graphite provides stiff, and durable sports equipment with better shock absorption properties.
17. Molding and Casting Industry
Graphite common uses in the manufacturing industry go beyond making the furnace as we had mentioned earlier. You can make permanent molds for casting different materials ranging from copper, aluminum, plastics, etc.
For example, graphite molds play a fundamental role in continuous casting processes. This is mainly attributed to the unique properties of graphite such as:
- Adaptability
- Flexibility
- Good thermal properties
- Self-lubricating
- High melting point, and
- Resistance to thermal shock
In today’s manufacturing industry, graphite permanent molds play an integral role in different material fabrication processes. The use of graphite in casting has significantly reduced manufacturing costs and improved efficiency.
Whether you want specially designed dies or molds for a continuous casting process, graphite offers the perfect solution.
18. Graphite in Electrode Discharge Machining (EDM)
Graphite used in EDM has greatly improved production across many industries. With the graphite electrodes in the EDM process, you can make parts that are lightweight and accurate.
EDM Graphite electrodes offer fast machining for both small and large parts across many industries.
The common use of graphite in EDM machining aims to produce parts using spark erosion. That is, it removes a small amount of material one at a time.
19. Using Graphite in the Medical Industry
There are many graphite products in the medical industry. Whether you want to focus on drug delivery applications, biosensors, or treatments, carbon-based graphene plays a crucial role in the medical field.
Today, the use of graphite has revolutionized efficiency in medical equipment such as CT scanners. The CT scanners use high-purity graphite as a target material in X-ray tubes.
Additionally, graphene which is extracted from graphite plays an integral role in the medical industry. Some common applications include;
- Anticancer agent
- Dental implant
- Therapeutic tool
- Water purification
- Biomarker
- DNA sequencing
As you can see, graphite used in the medical industry has improved both treatment and disease diagnosis.
20. Energy Saving Equipment
Every industry is focusing on sustainable solutions in every aspect of their production.
For this reason, the economic use for graphite has extended to producing parts that enhance efficiency and increase productivity.
Due to the self-lubricating property of carbon graphite, they form parts of bearing, pump, and sealing. You will find graphite in circulating pump components and hot water supply systems.
21. Space Exploration Industry
Maybe you could be wondering – How is graphite used in the space industry?
Apart from epoxy, graphite is yet another composite material popular in spacecraft structures. Embedding graphite fibers in an epoxy matrix produces a rigid and strong material that can withstand harsh conditions.
From rocket nozzles, chokes, and grids in ion engines, to other spacecraft components, you will find many applications of graphite in the space exploration industry. Its popularity is mainly due to the unique properties of graphite such as – it can withstand thermal shock, maintain its shape, and can withstand high temperatures.
22. Graphite in Trains
Graphite thermal resistance, self-lubricating properties, and good electrical conductors make it a perfect choice for coating model railroad tracks.
Additionally, carbon graphite strips form an important component of the pantograph contact systems. With self-lubricating systems, it reduces faster wear in the contact wire.
23. Graphite in the Lighting Industry
Graphite is a thermally conductive material making it a perfect option for dissipating heat generated by LED lights.
Using graphite sheets has effectively solved the heat dissipation problem that was a major problem in the LED light systems. Many LED light manufacturers install thermally conductive graphite sheets with thermal conductivity ranging from 50 to 1900W/mK. So far, these sheets are replacing heat-conductive glue.
24. Making Graphite Foils
For these foils, you can use expanded graphite. Foils made by expanding graphite have a wide range of applications ranging from:
- Insulating molten metal
- Fire stops
- High-performance gasket material to
- Heat sinks
25. Friction Materials
Combining self-lubricating, thermal conductivity, and thermal resistance makes graphite a perfect choice for making friction materials. Among the main uses of graphite powder is making friction materials.
Parts such as brake drums, pads, or even clutches contain about 15% graphite powder. With this quantity of graphite powder, your parts can effectively dissipate heat and control the coefficient of friction.
Of course, all these desirable properties are based on the atomic structure of graphite atoms.
Future Uses of Graphite
There are many researches still going on various applications of graphite across many industries.
For instance, the use of graphite in nuclear reactors is very popular at the moment. But, the fundamental question has always been how to effectively use graphite from nuclear reactors. These graphite materials are also referred to as radioactive graphite.
In a concept called diamond battery, there is research investigating whether we can use radioactive graphite to generate electricity for low-power devices.
Other include the medical industry where the focus is on using graphite to diagnose and treat diseases.
Of course, there is much research on the application of graphite. At East Carbon, we will always keep you updated on the innovations.
For a quick overview, let’s summarize the use of graphite in different applications or industries in the table below:
How We Use Graphite in Different Industries
| Graphite Uses | Approximate use of Natural Graphite in % | Approximate use of Synthetic Graphite in % |
| Battery | 52% | 31% |
| Refractories | 24% | 1% |
| Castings | 8% | 1% |
| Other graphite uses | 7% | 3% |
| Friction materials | 3% | 2% |
| Lubricants | 3% | 3% |
| Recarburising | 2% | 8% |
| Graphite shapes | 1% | 4% |
| Electrodes | 47% |
Here are a few things you need to note in the summary above:
- Natural graphite is commonly used to make batteries at 51% while synthetic graphite follows at 31%
- Synthetic graphite is common in most electrodes at 47%
Of course, these data simply give an overview. They may change with the development of new technology.
Conclusion
There are many uses of graphite material in many industries. From automotive, medical, and aerospace to machining, you can use graphite as raw material or part of a tooling system.
At East Carbon, we are here to help you get high-quality and pure graphite for any application. For any inquiries, contact us now.
