Overview of Flake Graphite

Flake graphite is a non-metallic mineral with a crystalline structure, known for its high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, corrosion resistance, thermal shock resistance, high strength, good toughness, self-lubricating properties, high thermal conductivity, and strong electrical conductivity. It is an essential material in various industries, including metallurgy, machinery, electronics, batteries, chemicals, light industry, military, defense, aerospace, and refractory materials. Here are some key points about flake graphite:

Characteristics of Flake Graphite

1. Raw Material Versatility:
   • Flake graphite can be processed into ultrafine graphite powder, expanded graphite, nano graphite powder, and high-purity graphite powder.
2. Excellent Properties:
   • It has excellent lubrication, high-temperature resistance, and electrical conductivity, making it ideal for mechanical lubrication.
3. Quality and Purity:
   • The quality of flake graphite depends on its carbon content. Higher carbon content flake graphite has better industrial applications.
4. High Thermal Shock Resistance:
   • It has strong resistance to thermal shock and good corrosion resistance, making it a crucial material for carbon refractories.

Applications of Flake Graphite

1. Refractory Materials:
   • Used extensively in the metallurgical industry for making refractory structures and coatings, such as magnesia-carbon bricks and crucibles. It also serves as desulfurization promoters in smelting, pencil leads in light industry, carbon brushes in electrical industry, electrodes in battery industry, and catalysts in fertilizer industry.
   • Further processed into graphite emulsion for lubricants, release agents, drawing agents, and conductive coatings. Expanded graphite is used for flexible graphite products like seals and composite materials.
2. Functional Fillers in Coatings:
   • Utilized in anticorrosion, fireproof, and conductive coatings. As an anticorrosion material, it is made into rust-proof primers with good chemical and solvent corrosion resistance. Adding chemical pigments like zinc yellow improves rust-proofing.
3. Battery Materials:
   • Essential for lithium-ion battery anodes, influencing electrode specific surface area and edge carbon atom proportion, affecting irreversible capacity during charging. Flake graphite improves battery performance, reduces internal resistance, and prolongs battery life.
4. Mechanical and Electrical Components:
   • Mixed with binders to make graphite products like pipes, fittings, valves, plates, and pumps. Also used as a wear-resistant material for making bearings, piston rings, and mechanical seals.

Advantages of Flake Graphite

1. High Purity:
   • High-purity graphite, made from flake graphite, has a higher purity and lower impurity content.
2. Uniform Particle Size:
   • Flake graphite has high dispersibility and uniform particle size.
3. Enhanced Battery Performance:
   • Significantly improves initial capacity and high-current discharge performance in batteries.
4. Cost Efficiency:
   • Using large flake graphite is advantageous for making crucibles and expanded graphite, and for graphene production, large-scale graphite is more conducive.
5. Economic Value:
   • Large flake graphite is economically valuable, often priced several times higher than small flake graphite.
6. Limited Availability:
   • Large flake graphite is rare in reserves and difficult to synthesize, with complex regrinding processes during selection causing damage to graphite flakes, resulting in lower yields and high demand.

Flake graphite’s unique properties make it an indispensable material in various high-tech and industrial applications, demonstrating its significant value and versatility.