Custom Carbon & Graphite Machining

14 Dec

Military Applications for Carbon Graphite Materials

Synthetic and even natural graphite are used by the government in several military applications due to the unique properties of graphite materials, including their high strength, thermal stability, electrical conductivity, and lightweight characteristics. Warfare is an extreme human activity and is practiced in extreme conditions. Carbon graphite and extreme conditions are no strangers, of course. When exposed to high temperatures, graphite materials have the advantage over metals in that they do not soften or warp, and high pressures do not force it out into different shapes. Natural graphite, and to a greater extent synthetic graphite, are thus highly stable materials...

07 Dec

Machining Synthetic Graphite

Machining graphite material, be it synthetic or natural graphite, requires the same type of CNC machines as does, say, machining steel or aluminum. When cutting graphite material, though, there are very important distinctions as to how the machines are actually set-up in order to properly perform. Particularly in the synthetic graphite manufacturing process, there are risks to cutting graphite material in a shop unequipped for machining graphite. At Semco, machining graphite material is precisely what we are equipped for. Machining synthetic or natural graphite requires specific equipment and tools to achieve precision and to minimize the risk of contamination. Synthetic...

30 Oct

Space is the Place for Synthetic Graphite

Synthetic graphite is widely used in the aerospace industry, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see why graphite’s physical properties fit the needs of the aerospace industry. Well, maybe you do, but we will simplify things a bit here. Synthetic graphite’s heat resistance helps space vehicles sustain the high temperature or re-entry through the atmosphere. It’s helping replace fossil fuels as the main power source for some aerospace fuel systems. And there’s a lot more to the story of synthetic graphite’s expanding role in sending rockets, satellites, and people to space. What follows is a rundown...

23 Oct

Graphite Cement: A High Temperature-Resistant Building Material

Graphite cement typically refers to a material with adhesive and bonding physical properties that contains graphite as one of its primary components. This is not your typical cement, one of the most ubiquitous, and necessary, building materials used by people today. Your typical cement is made of forms of lime, silica, iron, and aluminum. Like manufactured graphite, cement’s formula can be adjusted to suit specific purposes. One of those materials that can be added to cement to give it certain properties is graphite. Graphite is a form of carbon known for its excellent electrical conductivity, lubricating properties, and high temperature...

09 Oct

Teflon: Not Just for Non-Stick Cookware

Teflon History and ApplicationsGraphite is a high temperature-resistant material. It isn’t too surprising then to find that graphite and Teflon have been combined in industrial applications that go beyond just non-stick cookware, like gasket material (and many others). Teflon-coated graphite refers to a material that consists of a layer of Teflon (a brand name owned by The Chemours Company, for polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE) applied to the surface of graphite. This combination offers unique properties and applications, primarily due to the characteristics of both materials. Teflon was a revolutionary invention (or "lucky accident" in the eyes of some!) from it's conception. Roy...