Flexible graphite – also known as expanded graphite or exfoliated graphite – is produced from purified natural graphite flakes.
In the manufacturing process the flakes are mixed with a highly oxidizing acid to produce graphite intercalation compounds. These are expanded by a sudden application of high temperature. The resulting product called expanded graphite is mechanically compressed to shaped products, mainly to graphite foil. Although still showing the unique properties of natural graphite e.g. its excellent conductivity, expanded graphite foil is also flexible, soft and easy-to-process in contrast to the raw material.
