Graphene and graphite are made of the same thing: carbon atoms arranged in a flat honeycomb pattern. The difference is how many of those layers you have. Graphite is millions of carbon layers stacked together. Graphene is a single layer, one atom thick. That difference changes how the material behaves and how it is used.
What is graphite?
Graphite is a common form of carbon, mined from the ground or made synthetically. Its carbon layers are held together only weakly, so they slide over each other easily. That is why graphite works in pencils and as a dry lubricant. It is also used in battery anodes, refractories, brake linings and steelmaking.
What is graphene?
Graphene is one of those layers on its own: a sheet of carbon atoms one atom thick. It was first isolated in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester, work that earned the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. As a single sheet, graphene is extremely strong for its weight, conducts heat and electricity very well, and has a very large surface area for its mass.
Graphene vs graphite at a glance
| Graphite | Graphene | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Many stacked carbon layers | A single carbon layer (or a few, in graphene nanoplatelets) |
| Thickness | Bulk material | One atom thick |
| Source | Mined or synthetic | Made from graphite or other carbon sources by exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or other processes |
| Typical uses | Pencils, dry lubricants, battery anodes, refractories | Additives for concrete, lubricants, coatings, composites and coolants; electronics and energy research |
| How it is added to products | Usually as a powder | Best as a dispersion, spread evenly through a liquid carrier |
How graphene is made from graphite
A common route is exfoliation: separating graphite into very thin layers. Other routes include growing graphene films by chemical vapor deposition, and making graphene oxide chemically and then reducing it. Each route gives a different material, from single-layer films to few-layer nanoplatelets, so "graphene" on a label can mean different things. Ask a supplier what form you are getting and how it was verified.
Why graphene is harder to use than graphite
Graphene sheets tend to stick back together. If they clump, much of the benefit is lost. That is why we supply graphene already dispersed in the carrier a product uses, such as water, solvents, resins or oils, instead of as a dry powder. Read more in how graphene additives are used in manufacturing, or see our graphene dispersions.
What graphene does in real products
- Concrete: our graphene concrete additive gave 67% higher compressive strength at about a 1% dose in testing.
- Lubricants: our graphene lubricant additive gave up to 42% less wear and 26% higher weld load in independent testing at Univar's Houston lab.
- Car care: we developed 4 graphene car care products with ITW for Black Magic and Rain-X.
- Cooling: ThermaGraph™ graphene coolants showed +6% to +18% higher convective heat transfer coefficient than a glycol baseline in internal pumped-loop testing.
Frequently asked questions
Is graphene just very thin graphite?
In a sense, yes. Graphite is many layers of carbon stacked together; graphene is one of those layers on its own. Separating the layers changes how the material behaves.
Is graphene stronger than graphite?
As a single sheet, graphene is extremely strong for its weight. Graphite is soft because its layers slide over each other easily, which is why it is used in pencils and dry lubricants.
Can I buy graphene in the USA?
Yes. Graphene Integrations makes graphene in Charlotte, North Carolina, and supplies it pre-dispersed in the carrier you need. See graphene products or request a quote.
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