What type of rock graphite

The "lead" filling in pencils is in fact composed of a mixture of Graphite and clay. Graphite's main function, however, is as a lubricant.

It has many electrical uses, primarily because it is the only common nonmetal that is a good conductor of electricity. Although Graphite is not particularly rare, good Graphite crystals are uncommon. The Merelani Hills of Arusha, Tanzania, has produced sharp crystal plates that are associated with Diopside and Garnet.

In the U. A new, significant find of this mineral is Rossie, St. Lawrence Co. Graphite crystal flecks have been found at the French Creek mine Chester Co. Calcite , Quartz , Muscovite , Biotite , Hornblende. There are quite a number of minerals similar in appearance to Graphite, but Graphite's intrinsic properties will easily distinguish it. Molybdenite , which is commonly confused with Graphite, is heavier and does not smudge.

Have a question about Graphite? To sponsor this page, click here. Amazon Supply Store. Hammers, Chisels, Loupes, Cotton-filled boxes, etc. Here it is associated with quartz, muscovite, biotite and hematite Depangher, Chalcopyrite was associated Weidman, b. The mine site is 1 mile of route 10 along County G. Drill core from near the old mine contained coarsely crystalline graphite interbedded with chert, iron formation and pyritic metavolcanic rocks , Bruce Brown, WGNHS, personal communication.

Question about Wisconsin geology? In meteorites it occurs with troilite and silicate minerals. Small graphitic crystals in meteoritic iron are called cliftonite.

Graphite is not mined in the United States, but U. Density: 2. Hardness: 1. Thursday, November 11, Sign in.

Forgot your password? So they had to start thinking and very soon one clever man discovered that you can use impure graphite powder which is quite plentiful to make pencil leads if you mix it with various amounts of clay and burn the rods in a kiln. The hardness of the lead depends on the amount of clay more clay adds hardness. This mineral occurs mostly in metamorphic rocks. It is basically metamorphosed organic matter.

Most of the graphite occurs in slates, schists, carbonate rocks, and metamorphosed coal beds anthracite. Sometimes it occurs in skarn and rarely in igneous rocks.

Graphite has a layered structure. Very strong separate layers of carbon atoms are held together by weak chemical bonds which means that graphite as a mineral is very soft its hardness on Mohs scale is 1…2.