The technology of molded graphite is versatile, improvements in the manufacturing techniques are continuously made and the scope of applications is gradually expanding. This expansion is the direct of a sizeable research effort carried out by many workers in universities, government laboratories, and industry.
In the last twenty years or so, several major applications of molded graphite have developed into an important, complex, and diverse industrial market. Because of this diversity, the classification of these applications is a critical factor if a proper perspective of the industry is to be obtained.
The classification by product function is the primary one used in this book. It is used in this chapter for molded graphite and in the following chapters for the other main types of carbon and graphite materials, i.e., polymeric, pyrolytic, fibers, carbon-carbon and powders. It is based on the following major functions: electrical, structural and mechanical, chemical and refractory, and nuclear. These functions corresponds roughly to the various segments of industry and end-use market, such as electronic and semiconductor, metal processing, chemicals, automobile, and aerospace.
The world market for molded graphite is large as shown in Table 5.11.
Table 5.11. estimated world market for molded graphite in 1991.
| $ millions | |
| Steel production electrodes
Aluminum production anodes Cathodes Specialty graphite total |
2250
940 250 300 3740 |
The specialty graphites listed in the table include the molded graphite produced for semiconductor, electrical, chemical, nuclear, biomedical, mechanical, and aerospace industries.