Every material has elements that are composites of various elements, but graphite is unique because it consists of many different alloys of graphite. One of the most commonly found alloys is graphite, which is the result of graphite being mixed with oxygen. The composition of graphite is very simple – graphite consists of several layers of pure graphite held together by the cementing of the various graphite layers. The most common shapes of graphite are cubes and strips. Many people believe that all graphite is the same, but this is simply untrue.
Different compositions of graphite are discovered in nature, but they are made in large laboratories. Here they are exposed to extremely high temperatures and then examined using various techniques, such as X-rays, optical microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of these results enables scientists to determine the composition of graphite layers and determine their properties. Some forms of graphite are used for applications in the electronics industry, but other forms of graphite are used as road tar, which is essentially a thin layer of graphite with an adhesive strip used to add friction to a road.
Graphite consists of layers of graphite crystals held together by a chemical bond. These bonds are usually either due to the presence of silicon or nitrogen, or a combination of both. The chemical bonds can be weak or strong depending upon what the graphite layers are made from, and they can be straight or spiraled depending on how the crystal structure is constructed. Most people think that the composition of graphite is determined by the number and size of the carbon atoms, but there is actually much more to it than that. The structure of a given crystal layer can be completely different depending on where it is located, the environment it is exposed to and many other factors.
There are many types of graphite allophones, including: graphite, ferric, amphibole and carbon allomorphs. Allomorphs are similar in that their composition consists of two carbon allophones bound together by hydrogen and one electron. They are the most commonly found forms of graphite and are therefore fairly easy to analyze. While they cannot be considered to be crystalline in nature, they do exhibit the same crystal structure. The main difference between graphite and allomorphs is that allomorphs are far less common and are commonly seen in low concentrations.
Many forms of graphite contain organic solvents, which are water-based chemicals that allow the solvents to dissolve the carbon atoms in the substance without any effort. The solvents can be any one of a wide variety of organic solvents, which include: acetone, methylene chloride, propylene glycol, and butane. Graphite is made from different organic solvents when they react with either the carbon or hydrogen atoms that make up the material. When the organic solvent reacts with the graphite, the carbon atoms combine with oxygen atoms to form carbons. Organic solvents such as petrolatum do not react with graphite and do not form carbons.
Graphite is formed in nature through the breakdown of graphite when it is exposed to the air. The graphite crystals are created by the interaction of sulfuric and amino acids with the air, which produce a strong covalent bond between the carbon atoms and the hydrogen atoms in the substance. When the strength of the covalent bond is greatest, the graphite becomes brittle and breaks into thin flakes. As the graphite flakes grow in size, they become heavier and more elongated and become more similar to each other in shape. The process that creates the different shapes of graphite is called metamorphosis.
Because the strength of bonding between carbon and hydrogen is greater than the weak covalent bonds, graphite can be manufactured by subjecting them to the high temperatures of a chemical flame. When a spark sets off the chemical reaction causing the release of hydrogen and oxygen from the carbon atoms, the graphite is oxidized. The strength of the hydrogen bonds is enhanced, which gives the graphite more resistance to stretching than other materials that have not been exposed to the flame.
The structure of the layers of graphite is also very different from the traditional materials that were used before computers where layers of graphite were composed of pure carbon, which is a single sheet of carbon. In graphite, there are 3 layers, or allotropies, that support the structural protein chains. These allroposes are made of carbides and graphite is formed through carbon crystallization through the allotropism.