Radioactive graphite from old nuclear reactors is being researched as fuel. Nuclear diamond battery has the potential for long duration energy supply for electronics and the internet of things. [52] Graphite Anode Materials edit In addition, experimental literature values are shown as blue symbols in Fig. 2c with the range of typical CoF represented as a light blue area for experiments with no reported humidity. The friction measured in our study lies on the lower end of the typical CoFs, always yielding similar or even lower μ than comparable studies with graphite or graphene. McCoy, T. J. (22 February 2010). "Mineralogical Evolution of Meteorites". Elements. 6 (1): 19–23. Bibcode: 2010Eleme...6...19M. doi: 10.2113/gselements.6.1.19. Yurkewicz, Katie. "Protecting the LHC from itself" (PDF). Symmetry Magazine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-09-10. Lugaro, Maria (2005). Stardust From Meteorites: An Introduction To Presolar Grains. World Scientific. pp. 14, 154–157. ISBN 9789814481373.

Wang, C. X.; Yang, G. W. (2012). "Thermodynamic and kinetic approaches of diamond and related nanomaterials formed by laser ablation in liquid". In Yang, Guowei (ed.). Laser ablation in liquids : principles and applications in the preparation of nanomaterials. Pan Stanford Pub. pp. 164–165. ISBN 9789814241526.

Chung, D. D. L. (2002). "Review Graphite". Journal of Materials Science. 37 (8): 1475–1489. doi: 10.1023/A:1014915307738. S2CID 189839788. Among the different graphite sources, flake graphite has the highest number of patent families, with more than 5,600 filed worldwide from 2012 to 2021. Supported by active research from its commercial entities and research institutions, China is the country most actively exploiting flake graphite and has contributed to 85 percent of global patent filings in this area. Graphite/Metal Alloy Extends Material Life in High-Temperature Processes". Foundry Management & Technology. 2004-06-04 . Retrieved 2019-06-20.

For applications where only a minor lubricity is needed and a more thermally insulating coating is required, then amorphous graphite would be chosen (80% carbon). Molybdenum disulfide Natural graphite has found uses in zinc-carbon batteries, electric motor brushes, and various specialized applications. Graphite of various hardness or softness results in different qualities and tones when used as an artistic medium. [62] Railroads would often mix powdered graphite with waste oil or linseed oil to create a heat-resistant protective coating for the exposed portions of a steam locomotive's boiler, such as the smokebox or lower part of the firebox. [63] The Scope soldering iron uses a graphite tip as its heating element.However, a layered crystal structure alone is not necessarily sufficient for lubrication. In fact, there are some solids with non-lamellar structures that function well as dry lubricants in some applications. These include certain soft metals (indium, lead, silver, tin), polytetrafluroethylene, some solid oxides, rare-earth fluorides, and even diamond.

Figure 2c displays the humidity dependence of the steady-state friction coefficients. Interestingly, the average low friction CoFs are slightly different for the individual RHs, indicating that an influence of surrounding humidity on friction is also present for high loads. An increase in humidity from ≤5% to 24% results in a slight decrease in friction from μ = 0.14 to 0.10, followed by a plateau with μ ≈ 0.1 for RH > 24%. Notably, an experiment with a reduced Hertz pressure of 50 MPa at RH ≤ 5% results in a CoF of 0.28 (green circle in Fig. 2b). This value is in line with previous experiments 22, where an increase in friction was observed with a decrease in normal force (e.g., at P Hertz = 250 MPa a μ = 0.29 was measured). In 1893, Charles Street of Le Carbone discovered a process for making artificial graphite. In the mid-1890s, Edward Goodrich Acheson (1856–1931) accidentally invented another way to produce synthetic graphite after synthesizing carborundum (also called silicon carbide). He discovered that overheating carborundum, as opposed to pure carbon, produced almost pure graphite. While studying the effects of high temperature on carborundum, he had found that silicon vaporizes at about 4,150 °C (7,500 °F), leaving the carbon behind in graphitic carbon. This graphite became valuable as a lubricant. [9]Globally, over 60,000 patent families in graphite technologies were filed from 2012 to 2021. Patents were filed by applicants from over 60 countries and regions. However, graphite-related patent families originated predominantly from just a few countries. China was the top contributor with more than 47,000 patent families, accounting for four in every five graphite patent families filed worldwide in the last decade. Among other leading countries were Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and the Russian Federation. Together, these top five countries of applicant origin accounted for 95 percent of global patenting output related to graphite. [81] True color/appearance of the "Graphite, or Smokebox colors. List.nwhs.org. Retrieved on 2013-04-15. Graphite is an electrical conductor, hence useful in such applications as arc lamp electrodes. It can conduct electricity due to the vast electron delocalization within the carbon layers (a phenomenon called aromaticity). These valence electrons are free to move, so are able to conduct electricity. However, the electricity is primarily conducted within the plane of the layers. The conductive properties of powdered graphite [27] allow its use as pressure sensor in carbon microphones.

Electro-Plating on Non-Metallic Substances. Spons' Workshop Receipts Vol. II: Dyeing to Japanning. Spon. 1921. p. 132. While crucibles have a high graphite content, the volume of crucibles used and then recycled is very small. Carbon brushes represent a long-explored graphite application area. There have been few inventions in this area over the last decade, with less than 300 patent families filed from 2012 to 2021, very significantly less than between 1992-2011. The History of the Pencil". University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Archived from the original on 2015-03-17 . Retrieved 2013-02-15. Wainwright, Alfred (2005). A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Western Fells. London: Frances Lincoln. ISBN 978-0-7112-2460-5.

Weinberg, Alvin M. (1994). The First Nuclear Era. New York, N.Y.: American Institute of Physics. Figure 11. ISBN 978-1563963582. To analyze the structure of the carbon layer in the sliding interface in more detail, four 10 μm wide transmission electron microscopy (TEM) lamellae were prepared. One of it from an unworn region as a reference, two after experiments at 1 GPa (≤5% RH and 24% RH) and an additional lamella from the low load sample testet at ≤5% RH and 50 MPa (marked as white ovals in Fig. 3a, b, c). The lamella from Fig. 3b can be found in the SI file, seeSupplementary Fig.2. With the selected three experimental samples the whole range of humidity and normal force is covered. Samples at humidity ≥36% RH were not investigated as the sample was exposed to extensive abrasive wear, thus the carbon layer structure could not be analyzed. Dry lubricants or solid lubricants are materials that, despite being in the solid phase, are able to reduce friction between two surfaces sliding against each other without the need for a liquid oil medium.