Ronnie McKoun. age 10 of Pleinvi11e. Kansas.

What is Graphite?

The coal beds under the ground have been forming for millions of years.. And they are still changing. The youngest coal is brownish in and color not too good as fuel. Coal that is a few million years older than this is shiny black and burns‑ brightly in our grates Hard coal is older still. It burns with glowing embers and gives off a great: deal. of heath. But even this fine coal is still changing.

If left in the ground for millions of years more chances are that hard black coal will become graphite. Graphite its dull black and it shines with a steely gleam. It is a soft mineral. soft enough to leave a mark on paper. It is mined as coal is mined and often comes out of the mine. in great slabs.. Like coal graphite is made mostly of carbon.

The newly mined graphite is powered. refined and cleaned. Much of it is then formed into little strings to make insides for pencils. We call this the lead of our pencils. actually it is the mineral. graphite.

Nowadays it is possible to speed up nature’s promise of making graphite. Electric current is: passed through hard anthracite coal. In a short time. the coal becomes graphite..