Graphite electrodes are important high-temperature conductive materials for electric furnace steelmaking. Electrical energy is input into the electric furnace through graphite electrodes, and the high temperature generated by the electric arc between the electrode point and the charge is used as the heat source to melt the charge for steelmaking. Some other electric furnaces for smelting materials such as yellow phosphorus, industrial silicon and abrasives also use graphite electrodes as conductive materials. By taking advantage of the excellent and unique physical and chemical properties of graphite electrodes, they also have extensive applications in other industrial sectors.
Needle coke is a high-quality type of coke with distinct fibrous patterns, an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion, and is prone to graphitization. When the coke blocks break, they can split into slender strip-like particles along the patterns (the aspect ratio is generally above 1.75). Under a po…