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Flexible Graphite Carbon Foil/Sheet
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Thickness | Size | Other Variant |
|---|---|---|
| 0.075 mm (foil) to 1 mm (sheet) | 10 x 10 mm to 300 x 300 mm | Rigid graphite |
Need custom configurations? Please contact us.
Key Features
Flexible Graphite Foil is an expanded graphite product consisting of greater than 99% carbon in a compressible, conformable flat form combining excellent in-plane thermal conductivity, high chemical resistance, inherent lubricity, and an exceptionally wide service temperature range:
Excellent In-Plane Thermal Conductivity
In-plane thermal conductivity of approximately 150–200 W/m·K reflects the high degree of basal plane alignment in the expanded graphite structure, providing efficient lateral heat spreading for thermal interface material applications between high-power electronic components and heat sinks.
Exceptional Service Temperature Range
Service range from cryogenic conditions to approximately 450 °C in oxidising environments and up to approximately 2500 °C in inert or vacuum conditions gives flexible graphite the widest service temperature range of any gasket and seal material, covering applications from cryogenic seals to refractory furnace environments.
High Chemical Resistance
High chemical resistance to virtually all acids, alkalis, and solvents except strongly oxidising media qualifies flexible graphite for sealing and gasketing in chemical processing, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical service environments where most organic sealing materials would degrade.
Compressible and Conformable
The interlocked platelet microstructure formed by intercalation and thermal exfoliation of natural graphite provides both mechanical flexibility and compressibility, allowing the foil to conform to irregular mating surfaces under compression and maintain effective sealing contact without the rigid gasket behaviour that leads to leak paths at surface imperfections.
Inherent Lubricity and Electrical Conductivity
Inherent lubricity from the graphitic basal-plane structure and electrical conductivity from the interconnected carbon network support use as a conformable current collector in electrochemical cells and as a self-lubricating bearing and seal material in high-temperature service.
Industrial Applications
Flexible Graphite Foil is used across chemical processing, power generation, oil and gas, and high-power electronics wherever chemical resistance, compressibility, and a service temperature range from cryogenic to ultra-high temperature determine material selection:
- ✦ High-Temperature Gaskets and Compression Seals in Chemical Processing and Power Generation
- Used for high-temperature gaskets and compression seals in chemical processing, oil and gas, and power generation equipment, where resistance to thermal cycling, chemical attack, and creep at temperature qualifies flexible graphite over organic gasket materials that would degrade or extrude under sustained elevated-temperature service.
- ✦ Thermal Interface Materials for High-Power Electronic Components
- Applied as thermal interface materials between high-power electronic components and heat sinks, where in-plane thermal conductivity of 150–200 W/m·K and conformability under compression provide efficient, reliable thermal contact across the interface without the stress concentration effects of rigid thermal interface materials.
- ✦ Fire-Stopping Elements in Energy Storage Systems
- Used as fire-stopping elements and passive thermal management layers in energy storage systems including battery packs, where the combination of high-temperature capability in inert atmosphere, thermal conductivity, and chemical resistance supports passive fire containment and thermal management functions.
- ✦ Conformable Current Collector in Experimental Electrochemical Cells
- Applied as a conformable current collector in experimental electrochemical cells and supercapacitors, where electrical conductivity, chemical resistance, and the ability to conform to electrode surfaces under contact pressure provide reliable current collection without the rigid substrate effects that affect non-compressible collectors.
- ✦ Thermal Conductivity Measurement, Tribology and Carbon Material Research
- Used as a thermal interface layer in precision thermal conductivity measurements, and as a model anisotropic carbon material for tribology, electrical transport, and thermal management studies where the defined microstructure and composition of expanded graphite provide a reproducible reference material.
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 6 |
| Crystal structure | Hexagonal/Diamond |
| Electronic structure | He 2s² 2p² |
| Valences shown | 2, 3, 4 |
| Atomic weight( amu ) | 12.011 |
| Thermal neutron absorption cross-section( Barns ) | 0.0034 |
| Photo-electric work function( eV ) | 4.8 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 12/ 98.89 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 13/ 1.11 |
| Atomic radius - Goldschmidt( nm ) | 0.077 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 6/ 490 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 4/ 64.5 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 1/ 11.26 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 3/ 47.9 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 2/ 24.38 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 5/ 392 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Hardness - Mohs | 0.5-1 |
| Hardness - Mohs | 10 |
| Material condition | Diamond |
| Material condition | Graphite |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 33 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 542 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 4.8 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 1375@0°C |
| Thermal emf against Pt (cold 0C - hot 100C)( mV ) | 0.7 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Boiling point( C ) | 5000 |
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 2.25@20°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Melting point( C ) | 3650 |
| Specific heat( J K⁻¹ kg⁻¹ ) | 712@25°C |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 80-240@0-100°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 0.6-4.3@0-100°C |
Tolerances
| Thickness | <0.01mm | ±25% |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.01mm - 0.05mm | ±15% |
| Thickness | >0.05mm | ±10% |
| Linear dimension | <100mm | ±1mm |
| Linear dimension | >=100mm | +2 / -1% |