where does graphite come from

Graphite is a mineral that forms when carbon is subjected to heat and pressure in Earth's crust and in the upper mantle. Pressures in the range of 75,000 pounds per square inch and temperatures in the range of 750 degrees Celsius are needed to produce graphite. These correspond to the granulite metamorphic facies.

Graphite. Pure graphite is a mineral form of the element carbon (element #6, symbol C). It forms as veins and disseminations in metamorphic rocks as the result of the metamorphism of organic material included in limestone deposits. It is an extremely soft mineral and it breaks into minute, flexible flakes that easily slide over one another.

Graphite is found primarily among the rocks of the Precambrian Grenville Province of Eastern Ontario. In 1889 graphite was discovered on the shore of Whitefish Lake, Renfrew County. This later became Ontario`s richest graphite mine, the Black Donald Mine. The graphite mine location is now under the waters of Black Donald Lake.

Graphite is formed by the metamorphosis of sediments containing carbonaceous material, by the reaction of carbon compounds with hydrothermal solutions or magmatic fluids, or possibly by the crystallization of magmatic carbon.

Graphite is produced by metamorphosing organic material originally deposited as sediment or mixed with sediment. As organic material is metamorphosed, hydrogen and oxygen are driven off as water, leaving the carbon behind to form graphite.

Natural graphite is mined from open pit and underground mine operations. Madagascar mines are mostly open pit, whereas Mexican, North Korean and Sri Lankan mines are predominantly underground. The United States does not produce any natural graphite. The estimated world's reserve of graphite exceeds 800 million tons — a more …

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.

Graphite (/ ˈ ɡ r æ f aɪ t /) is a crystalline form of the element carbon.It consists of stacked layers of graphene.Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions.Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on a large scale (1.3 million metric tons per year in 2022) for uses in pencils, lubricants, and electrodes.

Graphite forms from the metamorphism of carbonaceous sediments and the reaction of carbon compounds with hydrothermal solutions. It occurs naturally in this form and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Under high pressures and temperatures it converts to diamond.

In 2020, the U.S. was 100 percent net import reliant on graphite from countries that included China, Mexico, Canada, and India (U.S. Geological Survey, 2021). Graphite has not been produced in the U.S. since the 1950s. Graphite occurs in the U.S. as disseminated flake graphite deposits and as graphite veins.