SUMMARY
Graphite occurs in nature in two forms, crystalline and amorphous, each form having its own peculiar uses. Crystalline graphite is used in the manufacture of crucibles, as a lubricant, and in paints. Amorphous graphite is used as a lubricant, for foundry facings, in pencils, in paints, as a polish for high explosives, in boiler compounds, in electrodes, in dry batteries, as a stove and shoe polish, and as a filler for fertilizers. Most of the above uses are essential and cannot easily be eliminated. Artificial graphite made from coal or other carbonaceous matter can be substituted for the natural amorphous graphite.
Fig. 11.—Annual output of graphite in chief producing countries, 1902-18. Full lines indicate crystalline graphite; dotted lines principally amorphous graphite.
Fig. 12.—Percentage of crucible graphite produced by main sources of supply, 1907-1917. Bavarian data since 1913 doubtful, but since completion of the graph it has been found that the 1917 production was much larger than shown.
Amorphous graphite may occur wherever coal or other carbonaceous beds have undergone regional or igneous metamorphism. Crystalline graphite, both flake and vein, is usually found in association with granitic intrusives. Since such rocks have not been thoroughly prospected in all parts of the world, it is probable that important new deposits of graphite will be discovered, especially in Canada, Siberia and parts of South America and Africa.
Ceylon is the chief source of supply of the best grades of crystalline graphite, viz., vein graphite. The crystalline graphite obtained in Madagascar, Bavaria, and in small quantities in the United States, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Japan and Chosen is chiefly of the flake variety and for that reason it is considered by manufacturers inferior in grade to that obtained in Ceylon. Large undeveloped deposits are reported in Greenland and Brazil. The discovery of the large deposits of flake graphite in Roumania was reported some time since. From time to time discoveries are reported from other localities but the importance is questionable, chiefly because the deposits are usually situated in places difficult to reach. It is believed that the Ceylon deposits have passed the maximum of their production and if deposits of vein graphite of equal grade and richness could be found, Ceylon producers might be hard pressed. During the last few years Madagascar has become the leading producer of crystalline graphite, and the influence of this potential supply should exert a stabilizing effect on prices of Ceylon graphite.
Austria, Chosen, Mexico, Italy and the United States are the principal producers of amorphous graphite; Chosen and Mexico supply most of the pencil graphite of the world.
The development of the electric furnace will no doubt decrease the demand for crucibles in steel making.
Great Britain, through sovereignty over Ceylon and Canada, and France, through sovereignty over Madagascar, control politically the world’s most important deposits of crystalline graphite. Japan controls the deposits of Chosen.
American capital controls the deposits of the United States, the deposits of Mexico, and in part the deposits of Canada. The Ceylon deposits have been worked mainly by small local owners, who opposed until a few years ago the attempts of an English company to gain control through the erection and operation of a modern plant. The Graphites Maskar, owning a part of the Madagascar deposits, is a subsidiary of a British company, the Morgan Crucible Co. Another large Madagascar company before the war had its main office in Hamburg, Germany. Other companies are controlled by Belgian and French capital. British interests own a part of the Italian and probably a part of the Spanish deposits.