Preparation of high pure graphite by alkali digestion method

Abstract

This paper deals with a novel new technique: alkali digestion, followed by grinding and flotation, has been attempted for the first time on the Indian graphite ore. The novelty in this method is that the quartz mineral, SiO 2 , present in the flakes, releases during thermal shock treatment and dissolves partly with sodium hydroxide. Acid cleaning washes out the other soluble minerals. By this method, a product containing a maximum of up to 98% fixed carbon (FC) is achieved with 97% recovery from a graphite concentrate containing 85% FC. This process is environment‐friendly and the product achieved is suitable for most of the industries.