When carbon material is subjected to high pressure and high temperature, natural flake graphite is created. Although most commercially obtained flake graphite comes from organic sources, the carbon source material might be organic or inorganic. The required pressure and temperature are usually greater than 1 gigapascal (75,000 psi) and 750 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Because natural flake graphite is generated when carbon
deposits are subjected to pressure and heat, it is most commonly found in
metamorphic rock, and deposits are rather equally dispersed throughout the
rock. Jumbo flake, big flake, medium flake, and fine flake graphite are
available.
The increasing production of batteries is one of the most
important driving factors in the flake graphite industry. The demand for flake
graphite is skyrocketing, owing to its widespread use in the fabrication of
electrodes. Because flake graphite has a higher purity than other types of
graphite, it makes the downstream process for battery manufacturers more
efficient because fewer impurities must be removed. In addition, large-scale
production of electric vehicles across geographies and vehicle types is driving
up demand for batteries, which has an indirect impact on the flake graphite market. Flake graphite is also used as a
fireproofing filler and as a filler in some anti-corrosion paints.
The flake graphite market is expected to grow significantly
over the forecast period, owing to rising demand for electric vehicles, the
opening of new graphite mines, which will ensure a secure and stable supply,
increasing commercial applications of graphene (a graphite-based material), and
rising demand for energy storage. In addition, numerous graphite mining
businesses are considering raising graphite output to meet the rising demand
for graphene batteries, which is expanding the scope for flake graphite
applications and functioning as a significant influencer favouring market
expansion from 2021 to 2028.