graphite: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 18, 2026

News •

Scientists Discover a New Cousin of Diamond That Was Thought To Exist Only in Theory • Oct. 14, 2026, 8:53 PM ET (SciTechDaily)

Facts

Also Known As	plumbago • black lead

Photos

A blue pencil with a sharpened graphite tip lies next to a rough chunk of natural graphite, both reflected on a glossy black surface.

black lead (graphite)

Comparison of the hexagonal structures of graphite (left)and boron nitride (right).

Diagram showing atomic structures of native elements: iron as simple cubic packing of spheres, arsenic and antimony as a close-packed model, diamond as a 3D lattice, and graphite as stacked sheets with labeled cleavage planes.

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Topics

cliftonite carbon graphene allotrope native element sulfur fullerene zinc iron arsenic lead gold copper selenium carbon nanotube

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Key People

Acheson, Edward Goodrich

Edward Goodrich Acheson

American inventor

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Joseph Dixon

American inventor