Graphite is a soft, crystalline form of carbon. Other forms are diamond and fullerenes ("buckyballs").    It is gray to black, opaque, and has a metallic luster.  It is flexible but not elastic.    Graphite occurs naturally in metamorphic rocks such as marble, schist, and gneiss.   It exhibits the properties of a metal and a nonmetal, which make it suitable for many industrial applications.   The metallic properties include thermal and electrical conductivity.   The nonmetallic properties include inertness, high thermal resistance, and lubricity.   Some of the major end uses of graphite are in high-temperature lubricants, brushes for electrical motors, friction materials, and battery and fuel cells.

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Annual Publications

Mineral Commodity Summaries

• Graphite (Natural)
    PDF Format:
       | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 |2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
• Appendixes

Minerals Yearbook

• Graphite
    PDF Format:
       | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
    XLSX Format:
       | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 tables-only release |
• Archive
       | 1932-1993 |

Special Publications

• Critical Mineral Resources of the United States--Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply
  Professional Paper 1802
  • Graphite
• Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States
  Data Series 140
  • Graphite (Natural)
• U.S. Mineral Dependence-Statistical Compilation of U.S. and World Mineral Production, Consumption, and Trade, 1990-2010
  Open-File Report 2013-1184