Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Elemental Carbon – Uses, Prices, and Production


This blog highlights data I have found on the Internet related to elemental carbon uses, prices, and production.   Data and information are provided on nine forms of elemental carbon ((activated carbon, amorphous (black) carbon, carbon fibers, charcoal, coal, diamond, graphene, graphite, and nano-tubes/fullerenes)).

Uses.  The following table (table 1) shows prominent uses for each of the nine forms of elemental carbon.  Uses vary extensively. 

table 1 uses
activated carbon
adsorption




amorphous (black) carbon
filler, pigment, and reinforcement in tires and other rubbers products
pigments
coatings
conductive agent

carbon fibers
structural, reinforcement
textiles



charcoal
fuel
adsorbent
filter


coal
fuel
source of chemicals
source of other forms of carbon, e.g. fibers, activated carbon


diamond
cutting, polishing, abasing
heat sink
jewelry gemstone


graphene
additive




graphite
lubricant
conductor
thermal resistance
anti-friction
marker
nano-tubes and fullerenes
additive







Prices.   The following table (table 2) shoes estimated 2018 price ranges for the nine forms of elemental carbon.  Prices vary a lot from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per kilogram. 

table 2    estimated 2018 price ranges
activated carbon
Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $900/metric ton (mt); highs $7,000/mt
amorphous (black) carbon
Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $1,200/mt; highs $1,400/mt
carbon fibers
Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $25/kg; highs $100/kg
charcoal
Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $350/mt; highs $1,700/mt
coal
Priced more as a commodity; two main types - for electricity generation ($90/mt range) or for metal processing ($60/mt range)
diamond
Industrial quality  in the $0.50 to $3.00/carat range; laboratory gem-quality in the several hundred dollars/carat range; natural gem-quality in several thousand dollars/carat range
graphene
$100 to $200/gm
graphite
Varies on whether natural or synthetic.  Natural varies on type (flake, amorphous, or lump) and quality - from a few hundred dollars/mt to a few thousand dollars/mt.   Synthetic higher.
nano-tubes and fullerenes
Multi-wall nano-tubes can be in the hundreds to thousands/kg range; single wall - $100,000/kg.  Fullerenes only sold in gram quantities in $100 to $250/gram range.



Production.  The following table (table 3) shows prominent production methods used, estimated 2018 amounts produced, and estimated revenues that could be generated by the amounts produced.  

table 3   production methods, estimated 2018 amounts produced, and 2018 estimated revenues
carbon type
method
quantity
activated carbon
pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials, e.g. wood
An estimated global production - 3 million mt.  Estimated revenues - $3.2 billion
amorphous (black) carbon
incomplete combustion of petroleum products
An estimated global production - 14 million mt.  Estimated revenues - $17 billion
carbon fibers
includes carbonizing organic polymers
An estimated global production - 90,000 mt.  Estimated revenues - $3.5 billion
charcoal
pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials, e.g. wood
An estimated global production - 1.5 million mt.  Estimated revenues - $1.3 billion
coal
mining
An estimated global production - 7.3 billion mt.  Estimated revenues - $620 billion
diamond
mining; laboratory processes
An estimated global production - 880 mt (natural gem: 15 mt; natural industrial: 14 mt; laboratory gem: < 1 mt; laboratory industrial: 850 mt).  Estimated global revenues - $237 billion (natural gem: $225 billion; natural industrial: $105 million; laboratory gem: $5 billion; laboratory industrial: $6.4 billion)
graphene
laboratory processes
An estimated global production - 0.5 mt.  Estimated revenues - $50 million
graphite
mining; laboratory processes
An estimated global production - 2.2 million mt (natural: 1 million mt; synthetic: 1.2 million mt).  Estimated revenues - $9 billion (natural: $1 billion; synthetic: $8 billion)
nano-tubes and fullerenes
laboratory processes
An estimated global production - 10,000 mt.  Estimated revenues - $4.5 billion (mostly multi-wall nano-tubes)

total
7.3 billion mt.     $896 billion


The above tables show to me just how varied the use of elemental forms of carbon are and the magnitude of their production amounts (estimated total is more than 7 billion metric tons) and the estimated generated revenues (estimated total of more than $890 billion).  If coal and diamond are eliminated from the amounts produced and revenues generated, the new totals are about 21 million metric tons and $39 billion.



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