Graphite Is Formed When Carbon Is Subjected To Intense Heat And Pressure In The Earth's Crust And Upper Mantle

 

Graphite 

Carbon exists in its crystalline form as graphite. Graphene is layered in layers to make it. Under normal circumstances, graphite is the most stable form of carbon and it is found in nature. In 1989, 300 kton of natural and synthetic graphite were consumed annually for usage in electrodes, lubricants, and pencils. It turns into diamond at high pressures and temperatures. It is a poor conductor of both electricity and heat.

Because sedimentary carbon compounds are reduced during metamorphism, Graphite can be found in metamorphic rocks. Additionally, it can be found in meteorites and igneous rocks. Quartz, calcite, micas, and tourmaline are among the minerals connected to graphite. China, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Madagascar are the top exporters of mined graphite by tonnage. Graphite also occurs in meteorites along with the minerals troilite and silicate. Cliftonite is the name for tiny graphitic crystals found in meteoritic iron. Certain tiny grains have unique isotopic compositions that show they evolved before the Solar System.

They are one of the about 12 pre-Solar System mineral kinds that have been identified, and they have also been found in molecular clouds. When supernovae detonated or low to intermediate-sized stars evacuated their outer envelopes late in their lifetimes, these minerals were created in the ejecta. The second- or third-oldest mineral in the universe may be graphite.

Carbon sheets with trigonal planar structures make up graphite. Graphene is the name of the individual layers. The bond length of the carbon atoms in each layer's honeycomb lattice is 0.142 nm, while the space between the planes is 0.335 nm. The relatively weak van der Waals bindings and frequent presence of gases in layer bonds allow the graphene-like layers to glide past one another and be readily separated. Consequently, the electrical conductivity parallel to the layers is around 1000 times lower.