#China #graphite export ban details. “Some types of graphite deemed highly sensitive will be subject to so-called “dual-use item” export controls from Dec. 1, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Friday. Dual-use refers to applications that include the military. (...) China is a major source of the raw material, and also accounts for about 60% of natural graphite production capacity and 90% for the synthetic variety. (...) The commerce ministry said its measures are a normal adjustment that don’t target any specific country or region, and that exports which comply with relevant regulations will be permitted. China exports graphite to countries including the US, South Korea and Japan.” #politics
on 02024-09-11#China #graphite export ban only covers natural graphite. #politics
on 02024-09-11#video from four weeks ago on #China’s #graphite exports to #USA, which are necessary for #EVs and supposedly not available elsewhere; in December China imposed an export ban. #politics
on 02024-09-11How #graphitization produces #graphite with Carbolite furnaces, of which the high-temperature regions are made 100% of graphite (including graphite felt insulation and graphite heating elements) and thus must be protected from feedstock outgassing and, of course, filled with argon or vacuum when hot. The thermocouple is withdrawn at 1200° and further temperature control is pyrometer-only. #materials
on 02020-12-20this #paper reports on production of #graphite, normally made by the Acheson Process (heating amorphous carbon at 3000°). They achieved almost complete or complete #graphitization (the paper repeatedly contradicts itself on this point) in 5 minutes by microwave-heating activated charcoal (mesh 100–325, 600–1500 m²/g) to 1000° after ethanol-impregnating it with 6 mmol NiCl₂ (per gram of carbon, mysteriously resulting in 15–35% wt% Ni), which produces a metallic nickel catalyst which can dissolve a little carbon (2.7% at 1327°), which then precipitates as graphite. They did this under argon in a quartz reactor over total processing times of 35–60' to allow 30' to heat up to 1000°. They report that microwaves’ penetration depth into graphite is only a few microns. They report both that the Acheson process takes two weeks and that they achieved full graphitization by heating various feedstocks to 3000° without catalyst for a few minutes. #materials
on 02020-12-20