For many years in the graphite industry, the words carbon and graphite have been used interchangeably. These two materials possess distinct properties and find diverse applications across various industries. After fielding a few questions on the topic, I figured it would be a good idea to do a bit of research on the two materials.

While carbon and graphite share the same primary component of carbon atoms, their distinct structures and properties set them apart. Carbon’s varied forms offer versatility, while graphite’s layered structure gives it great conductivity and lubricating qualities.

The biggest difference between carbon and graphite is the heat treatment temperature the material experiences. Carbon heat treatment typically ranges from 800 – 1200 Celsius (1472-2192 Fahrenheit). Graphite heat treatment is typically at temperatures above 2000 Celsius (3632 Fahrenheit). Other heat treatment processes such as purification can see temperatures near 3000 C (5432 F).

Carbon can be transformed into graphite through a process called graphitization. This high-temperature process under specific conditions creates the transformation process. Also, graphite can be converted back to carbon through a process called carbonization or pyrolysis. This process without oxygen involved causes the graphite structure to break down and transform into a form of carbon.

Here are three other differences between carbon and graphite.

1. Composition:

Both carbon and graphite are composed primarily of carbon atoms, yet they exhibit contrasting structures due to their different arrangements.

Carbon:

Carbon is a versatile chemical element that occurs in various forms. It can exist as diamond, amorphous carbon, or graphite, among others. Carbon atoms in diamonds are tightly bonded in a three-dimensional lattice, resulting in its exceptional hardness (Gupta & Sankaran, 2017). On the other hand, amorphous carbon lacks a defined structure, making it versatile and used in applications such as carbon fibers (Smirnov et al., 2019).

Graphite:

Graphite, a crystalline form of carbon, consists of layers of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal arrays. These layers are weakly bonded together, allowing them to easily slide over one another, making graphite an excellent lubricant (Zhu et al., 2015). This unique structure also imparts graphite with its distinctive properties, such as high thermal and electrical conductivity (Zhang et al., 2017).

2. Physical Properties:

The contrasting structures of carbon and graphite contribute to fundamental differences in their physical properties.

Hardness:

Carbon in its purest form as diamond is one of the hardest materials known, scoring a perfect 10 on the Mohs hardness scale (Gupta & Sankaran, 2017). Conversely, graphite is relatively soft and malleable, earning a modest 1 to 2 rating on the scale. This difference arises due to the varying strength of the atomic bonds in their respective structures.

Conductivity:

While both carbon and graphite possess electrical conductivity, their conductive capacities differ significantly. Graphite exhibits excellent electrical conductivity due to the presence of delocalized electrons within its layered structure (Zhang et al., 2017). Carbon, however, can be either conductive or insulating, depending on its form and structure (Smirnov et al., 2019).

3. Applications:

The unique properties of carbon and graphite enable them to find extensive applications across a wide range of industries.

Carbon:

In its various forms, carbon is widely used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, and construction. Carbon fibers, for instance, offer an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, making them ideal for manufacturing aircraft and high-performance sports equipment (Smirnov et al., 2019). Carbon black, a byproduct of the oil refining process, finds use in the production of tires, pigments, and conductive plastics (Gupta & Sankaran, 2017).

Graphite:

Graphite’s excellent thermal conductivity and lubricating properties make it indispensable in manufacturing crucibles, electrodes, and lubricants (Zhu et al., 2015). It finds extensive use in the steel industry, as a component in lithium-ion batteries, and even as a writing instrument (pencil lead), owing to its smooth writing ability (Zhang et al., 2017).  It is also used as a bearing material for applications where traditional lubricants cannot be used.

If you have additional questions concerning which material is best to use for an application, contact our engineers to make sure you are using the right material. Chat With Us • Graphel

 

References:

– Gupta, B. K., & Sankaran, K. J. (2017). Carbonaceous Materials: Advances in Characterization and Applications. CRC Press.

– Smirnov, B. M., Ivanov, V. K., & Smirnov, V. B. (2019). Carbon Materials: Chemistry and Physics. CRC Press.

– Zhang, W., Weng, Q., & Wang, Y. (2017). Graphite and Precursors. In Carbon-Based Metal-Free Catalysts (pp. 1-35). Springer.

– Zhu, H., Zhang, Z., Zhang, B., & Zhang, H. (2015). Graphite: The “Mother of Carbon Materials”. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 54(21), 6254-6270