As a general rule, graphite-containing components of any kind are designed only for vacuum or protective gas systems. Plates supplied to the sintering and hardening industries are used mainly as charging supports and heating elements. Tubes are employed chiefly as heating elements or matrices for hot isostatic presses.

Thermal treatment operations which require the work pieces to be subsequently quenched with gas are no problem for flake graphite carbon products. It is only oil quenching operations that cause the pores of the carbon material to fill with oil, which is then transferred to the furnace in the next furnace campaign. Although the oil is soaked in the furnace and increases the density of the charging tray, it may contaminate the furnace atmosphere again. No hard and fast pronouncement can be made on whether or not this will adversely affect the process.

Another feature that deserves special mention is the absence of carbon graphite distortion. Whereas metal structures need to be constructed from solid material and reshaped with a hammer or similar tools after some months in operation, the material has absolutely no tendency to distort. This makes the material highly suitable for use in automated processes. Robots programmed to return repeatedly to a particular position will always find the charging system in its proper place.

The absence of any tendency to distort also has a favorable effect on the reproducibility of components, as these are always placed in the same furnace position and prevented from falling down. This helps to significantly reduce furnace downtimes and the costs associated with poor component quality.

The high global demand for flexible graphite and the products made from them, together with the shortage occurring on the world market, shows that this material is nowadays indispensable. Carbon fibers are used mainly in low-temperature applications such as aircraft construction, military equipment and wind farms.

Global demand for carbon products used in high-temperature applications is also rising constantly. The reason is that investments in new furnaces are not being made until existing equipment has been better utilized. This practice is being adopted in order to reduce production costs, improve product quality and hence safeguard workplaces over the medium term.