The European Union is seeking to boost energy cooperation with African countries to help wean them off dependence on Russian gas imports.

Bloomberg said, recently, according to a draft EU file, African countries, especially in western Africa Nigeria, Senegal and Angola have a large untapped liquefied natural gas (LNG), the European Commission will adopt this file about enhanced external energy supply later this month, as part of plans to reduce dependence on Russian energy.  

Because of the ever-changing international situation, the supply and prices of international bulk expandable graphite are still very uncertain.

Expandable graphite - a special type of graphite.

Due to the laminar structure of graphite, atoms or small molecules can be introduced between the carbon layers (intercalation). During this process, so-called swellable graphite salts or GICs (graphite embedded compounds) are produced. Excellent grades of expandable graphite have a high percentage of intercalation layers. Usually sulphur or nitrogen compounds are used as insertion agents. Under the influence of heat, these layers separate like an accordion and the graphite sheet expands.

Depending on the grade of material, expansion can start at as low as 180°C and can occur suddenly and rapidly. In the case of free expansion, the final volume may be hundreds of times larger than the initial volume. The properties of expandable graphite, i.e. the initial expansion temperature and the degree of expansion, are mainly determined by the quality of the insert (the proportion of the insert) and the inserting agent.

Expandable graphite as a flame retardant.

One of the main applications of expandable graphite is as a flame retardant. Due to the heat of the fire, the graphite expands and forms an intumescent layer on the surface of the material. This delays the spread of the fire and minimises one of the most harmful effects of combustion, namely the production of toxic gases and smoke.

How to produce expandable graphite?

To produce expandable graphite, natural graphite flakes are treated in a bath of acid and oxidizing agent.Usually used oxidizing agents are hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate or chromic acid. Concentrated sulphuric acid or nitric acid are usually used as the compound to be incorporated, with the reaction taking place at temperatures of 30 °C to 130 °C for up to four hours. After the reaction time, the flakes are washed with water and then dried.[2] Starting temperature and expansion rate depend on the production conditions and particle size of the graphite. temperature and expansion rate are depending on the degree of fineness of the graphite used.

What are the applications of expandable graphite?

Flame retardant

One of the main applications of expandable graphite is as a flame retardant. When exposed to heat, expandable graphite expands and forms an intumescent layer on the material surface. This slows down the spread of fire and counteracts the most dangerous consequences of fire for humans, the formation of toxic gases and smoke.

Graphite foil

By compressing expanded graphite, foils can be produced from pure graphite. These are mainly used as thermally and chemically highly resistant seals in chemical plant construction or as heat spreaders.

Expandable graphite for metallurgy

Expandable graphite is also used in metallurgy to cover melts and moulds. The material serves here as an oxidation protection and insulator.

Expandable graphite for the chemical industry]

Expandable graphite is included in the chemical processes for paints and varnishes.

High-quality expandable graphite supplier

Luoyang Moon & Star New Energy Technology Co., LTD, founded on October 17, 2008, is a high-tech enterprise committed to developing, producing, processing, selling, and technical services of lithium-ion battery anode materials. After more than 10 years of development, the company has gradually developed into a diversified product structure with natural graphite, artificial graphite, composite graphite, intermediate phase, and other negative materials (silicon-carbon materials, etc.). The products are widely used in high-end lithium-ion digital power and energy storage batteries.

If you are looking for expandable graphite material, click on the needed products and send us an inquiry：sales@graphite-corp.com.

 

 

According to Reuters, U.S. Treasury officials said they would discuss with G7 leaders pricing caps and tariffs on Russian oil as an alternative to the embargo, which would keep the market supplied, limit price spikes, and reduce Russian revenues.  

The EU foreign ministers' meeting was held in Brussels.  The meeting failed to agree on the sixth round of sanctions, including an oil embargo on Russia, because of objections from Hungary.  

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said at a press conference after the meeting, that the meeting failed to reach an agreement on the final adoption of the sixth round of sanctions, the permanent representatives of member states to the EU will continue to discuss. The foreign ministers faced similar difficulties trying to reach an agreement on an oil ban. He said Hungary's position was based on economic rather than political concerns.  

Hungary is highly dependent on Russia for energy, getting more than 60 percent of its oil and 85 percent of its natural gas from Russia.  

A few days ago, the European Commission submitted the sixth round of proposed sanctions against Russia, including a total ban on Russian oil imports by the end of this year. Hungary immediately objected and said it wanted substantial compensation from the EU to offset its loss from giving up Russian oil.

The expandable graphite price is predicted to increase in the next few days, due to geopolitical factors.

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