What is Flexible Graphite and How is it manufactured?
Summary: Flexible graphite is a soft compressed natural graphite made of exfoliated mineral flake graphite. Because of its flexible texture, it is called flexible graphite to distinguish it from other types of graphite materials: flake graphite, amorphous graphite, artificial graphite, graphite electrode, graphite carbon fiber, etc. Convergent graphite acquires all the unique features of mineral graphite and is used in a variety of industrial applications. It is an excellent sealing agent and can be used to make chemical-resistant and high-temperature chemicals, segment components, compression packaging, etc. Flexible graphite is naturally a solid coating and can also be used in a variety of metal-making processes or other mechanical processing. Using directional temperature control, flexible graphite can be used as liners in industrial furnaces, as well as in electrical devices to control and distribute heat flow.
- Introduction:
Natural mineral graphite is different. It is a non-metallic mineral, but thermally and electrically conductive like metal. It is made of the carbon element, similar to the hardest diamond — diamond, but graphite is the softest mineral. Natural mineral graphite is resistant to many chemicals, withstanding temperatures down to billions of degrees. All of these factors contribute to the formation of crystalline graphite minerals. In structure, the six-sided bond is strong, but the bond between layers is weak. By breaking the bonds between the layers, mineral graphite can be extracted by several hundred large layers. By pressing the exfoliated graphite into a sheet form, a flexible graphite is formed.
Picture Courtesy: J D Jones
- Flexible Graphite and Its Features:
Flexible graphite inherits all the distinct features of mineral graphite and is used in a variety of industrial applications. It is an excellent sealing agent and can be used to make chemical-resistant and high-temperature chemicals, segment components, compression packaging, etc. Flexible graphite is naturally a solid coating and can also be used in a variety of metal-making processes or other mechanical processing. Using directional temperature control, flexible graphite can be used as liners in industrial furnaces, as well as in electrical devices to control and distribute heat flow. Flexible graphite can also be used in many other applications including EMI (power interference) for protection and grinding, pressure sensitivity, vibration reduction, spark sintering (SPS), and other thermal, electric or electric systems. The features of flexible graphite follow,
- Excellent resistance to chemical agents
- No changes over time
- Extremely wide range of temperature without modification: -196 ° C to 2,500 ° C inlet, and up to 450 ° C / 550 ° C in air
- Too much pressure
- The recovery of the material, and moving very slowly within the range of active temperature, ensures the appropriate signal
- It is easy to cut, allowing it to be converted into flat marks
- How is Flexible Graphite produced?
Flexible graphite is made of expandable flake graphite. Graphite, a pure carbon, has layers of carbon atoms that form six strong bonds. Weak bonds exist between each layer as well. Flexible graphite is created by adding flake graphite to chromatic and sulfuric acid, and then placing it at high temperature. This weakens the bonds between each layer, increasing graphite.
- Conclusion:
Flexible Graphite is an excellent sealing material and can be used to make chemical-resistant and high-temperature chemicals, segment components, compacting packaging, etc.
