Graphite

<p>Graphite  is a <a href="/facts/Crystallinity/qA9S1duu">crystalline</a> allotrope (form) of the element <a href="/facts/Carbon/ukrgQexo">carbon</a>. It consists of many stacked <a href="/facts/Layered_materials/bu3qdQLK">layers</a> of <a href="/facts/Graphene/QDGUBaPt">graphene</a>, typically in excess of hundreds of layers. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under <a href="/facts/Standard_conditions/JhJv9KFJ">standard conditions</a>.  Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on a large scale (1.3 million metric tons per year in 2022) for uses in many critical industries including <a href="/facts/Refractories/LoKrzGkR">refractories</a> (50%), <a href="/facts/Lithium-ion_batteries/3L22xFhB">lithium-ion batteries</a> (18%), <a href="/facts/Foundries/Hww9Nrmr">foundries</a> (10%), and <a href="/facts/Lubricants/9PXISDwU">lubricants</a> (5%), among others (17%). Graphite converts to <a href="/facts/Diamond/IBUdnd1y">diamond</a> under extremely high pressure and temperature. Graphite's low cost, thermal and chemical inertness and characteristic conductivity of heat and electricity finds numerous applications in high energy and high temperature processes.
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Graphite open-in-new

Graphite