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.