Raw materials for decarbonisation : the potential for graphite in the UK

Graphite is a form of carbon that occurs as black to steel grey, lustrous flaky aggregates, disseminated in metamorphic rocks or as veins with a fibrous or foliated texture (Taylor, 1994). Natural graphite has a number of special properties, such as high electrical conductivity, a high melting point, resistance to corrosion and lubricity. Consequently it has varied industrial applications, including in electronics, lubrication, metallurgy and steel production (Robinson et al., 2017). In the UK graphite is used in aerospace applications, nuclear power generation and associated industries, in the petrochemical and automotive sectors, and for glass and steel manufacturing. Global natural graphite production in 2017 amounted to an estimated 1.2 million tonnes.