Mechanical Engineering

Graphite products are widely and critically applied in the mechanical field, primarily due to their unique physicochemical properties, such as high-temperature resistance, lubricity, chemical stability, and high strength:

1. Lubricating Materials: Self-Lubricating Bearings and Seals

•Self-lubricating bearings: Graphite’s layered structure provides excellent lubricity, enabling the production of graphite bearings that require no additional lubricating grease. These bearings perform exceptionally well in high-speed, high-temperature, high-pressure, or corrosive environments, reducing maintenance costs while avoiding lubricant contamination issues.

•Sealing materials: Graphite seals (e.g., piston rings, gaskets) maintain sealing performance under extreme conditions and are widely used in chemical pumps, compressors, and other equipment to prevent liquid or gas leakage, thereby extending equipment lifespan.

2. High-Temperature Components: Structural Support in High-Temperature Applications

•High-temperature furnace structural parts: Graphite products (e.g., heating elements, thermal insulation screens, supports, trays) are used in vacuum furnaces and high-temperature resistance furnaces to withstand extreme thermal environments.

•Aerospace components: Graphite’s lightweight, high-strength, and high-temperature-resistant properties make it an ideal choice for rocket engine nozzle throat inserts and satellite conductive structural materials, ensuring safe operation of spacecraft in extreme conditions.

3. Wear-Resistant and Corrosion-Resistant Components: Extending Equipment Lifespan

•Corrosion-resistant equipment: Graphite’s chemical stability makes it a core material for chemical processing equipment. Graphite pipes and reactor linings resist acid and alkali corrosion, replacing metal materials and reducing maintenance costs.

4. Precision Machining and Electrode Materials: Supporting High-Precision Manufacturing

•Graphite electrodes: In electrical discharge machining (EDM), graphite electrodes are gradually replacing copper electrodes as the mainstream material for machining fine, complex, and large-scale electrodes due to their high-temperature resistance, low discharge consumption, and minimal thermal deformation. For example, in mold manufacturing, graphite electrodes enable micron-level precision machining.

5. Specialized Applications: Nuclear Industry and New Energy

•Nuclear industry neutron moderators: High-purity graphite serves as a neutron moderator in atomic reactors, controlling nuclear reaction rates and ensuring safe, stable reactor operation. Its high melting point and corrosion resistance meet the stringent requirements of the nuclear energy sector.

•New energy sector: Graphite, as a lithium-ion battery anode material, supports the development of electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Its layered structure enables efficient lithium-ion storage and release, enhancing battery performance and cycle life.