The importance of large flake graphite

Flake graphite is one of the elements of carbon allotropes, graphite is one of the softest minerals, its USES include manufacturing pencil lead and lubricant and is one of the crystalline mineral element carbon, high temperature, corrosion resistance, thermal shock resistance, strength, and toughness, good self-lubricating high strength, thermal conductivity, conductive, plasticity and coating properties, Widely used in metallurgy, machinery, electronics, chemical, light industry, military, national defense, aerospace, and refractory industries, in recent years, the fastest development is used in lithium (ion) battery industry spherical graphite, is one of the non-metallic materials essential for the development of new and high-tech. Among them, flake graphite has excellent physical and chemical properties and has good temperature resistance, self-lubrication, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, thermal shock resistance, corrosion resistance, and other properties.

1 Distribution of graphite resources and the importance of protecting large flake graphite

1.1 Distribution of graphite resources

Graphite resources in the world are mainly distributed in China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Madagascar, and other countries. The reserves and output of graphite resources in China are the first in the world. The important producing areas of crystalline graphite are Jixi and Luobei in Heilongjiang Province, Pingdu and Laixi in Shandong Province, Xinghe in Inner Mongolia, Chicheng in Hebei Province, Xixia in Henan Province, Yichang in Hubei, and Nanjiang in Sichuan Province. The main producing areas of cryptocrystalline graphite in China are the Chenzhou area of Hunan Province and the Rock area of Jilin Province.

1.2 Importance of protecting graphite flake

Generally speaking, large flake graphite refers to +80 mesh, +100 mesh graphite. At the same grade, the economic value of large flake graphite is tens of times that of small flake graphite. Large flake graphite is the manufacturing crucible and expanded graphite necessities; In terms of its own properties, the lubricity of large flake graphite is better than that of fine flake graphite. In addition to obtaining large flake graphite from raw ore through beneficiation process, the current technological conditions and processes can not synthesize large flake graphite; From the perspective of reserves, China’s large flake graphite reserves are low, repeated regrinding beneficiation process and complex process lead to serious destruction of graphite flake.

Academician Sun Chuanyao also stressed that in the beneficiation process of graphite ore, pay attention to the protection of large flake, because large flake graphite is widely used, few resources, high value is an indisputable fact, so in the production must try to prevent the destruction of large flake, protect the output of large flake graphite. Crucible and expanded graphite manufacturing must use large flake graphite, fine grain can not be used or difficult to use; Among the raw materials for the preparation of graphene, large flake graphite is more conducive to the generation of graphene. flake graphite in economic value, the same grade, the price of large flake graphite is dozens of times of fine flake.

Although the price of large flake graphite is higher than the general fine flake graphite, the performance of large flake graphite is superior, becoming the choice of more and more enterprises, the factory will also work harder to make more good quality large flake graphite.