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graphite

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graphite

Blackish-grey, soft, flaky, crystalline form of carbon. It is used as a lubricant and as the active component of pencil lead.

Graphite, like diamond and fullerene, is an allotrope of carbon. The carbon atoms are strongly bonded together in sheets, but the bonds between the sheets are weak, allowing the layers to slide over one another. Graphite has a very high melting point (3,500°C/6,332°F), and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. It absorbs neutrons and is therefore used to moderate the chain reaction in nuclear reactors.



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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
This vacuum economised the graphite points between which the luminous arc was developed--an important point of economy for Captain Nemo, who could not easily have replaced them; and under these conditions their waste was imperceptible.
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Verne, Jules View in context
He opened the kit bag and oiled his wheel, putting graphite on the chain and adjusting the bearings.
Martin Eden by London, Jack View in context
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