Description

Graphite /ˈɡræfaɪt/ is made almost entirely of carbon atoms, and as with diamond, is a semimetal native element mineral, and an allotrope of carbon. Graphite, meaning "writing stone", was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in ***9 from the Ancient Greek γράφω (graphō), "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is known as lead (not to be confused with the metallic element lead). Graphite is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Therefore, it is used in thermochemistry as the standard state for defining the heat of formation of carbon compounds. Graphite may be considered the highest grade of coal, just above anthracite and alternatively called meta-anthracite, although it is not normally used as fuel because it is difficult to ignite