Occurrence of Graphite
Graphite is a form of carbon that is found naturally in the world and is characterized by its uniquely crystalline structure. It is mostly often found in metamorphic rocks i.e. marble, schist and gneiss among others including igneous rocks such as granite. Graphite, commonly if pressure and/or temperature are high, occur within the Earth’s crust. It is frequently found along with the duo of minerals such as quartz, mica, and feldspar.
Significant graphite deposits can be found in various parts of the world, including:
- China: Graphite is one of the most extensively produced minerals worldwide and China holds vast resources in Heilongjiang’s, Inner Mongolia’s, and Shandong’s provinces respectively.
- India: India with its significant graphite deposits concentrated in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is the country that holds those.
- Brazil: Brazil is famous for graphite ores located in Minas Gerais and Bahia states.
- Canada: Canadian graphite reserves are located in two main provinces namely Quebec, Ontario.
- Madagascar: Madagascar produces some of the world-class graphite, together with deposits scattered in various areas of the country.
- Other countries: Russia, Mozambique, Norway, Sri Lanka and the states of the US have the gas deposits of graphite
Graphite
Graphite is a crystalline form of carbon. It has a layered structure that consists of rings of six carbon atoms arranged in widely spaced horizontal sheets. Graphite crystallizes in the hexagonal system, in contrast to diamond, another form of carbon, which crystallizes in the tetrahedral system. Graphite is dark gray to black, opaque, and very soft (with a Mohs scale hardness of 1.5)
In this article, we will read in detail about Graphite, its structure, occurrence, properties, and uses.
Table of Content
- What is Graphite
- Structure of Graphite
- Occurrence of Graphite
- Properties of Graphite
- Uses of Graphite
- Graphite vs. Diamond