General Knowledge - General Science - Discussion

What is meaning for lubricant?

It have of weak van der wall forces between the two different layers of graphite molecular structure and hence by the application of little force upper layer slides over lower layer. Hence, it is one of the best solid lubricant.

The hexagonal ring structures will slip each other and vanderwal forces held between these layers like structures.so they slip each other.so it is used as lubricant.

I agree with kalpana and Subrahmanyam

Graphite used in atomic reactors as a slow atomic reactions as coolent.

I agree with kalpana.

The individual atoms of graphite are hexagonal in shape and are arranged in overlapping sheets. Although the bonding between the atoms in a particular sheet is strong, the bonding between the atoms of successive sheets is weak. Due to this weak bonding between the atoms in the overlapping sheets, there is a tendency for the sheets to easily slide over each other, which causes slipperiness. It is because of this slipperiness effect that graphite acts as a good lubricant.

Graphite is the 'gray lead in your drawing pencil. Graphite is not lead at all; the misnomer arose because it was mistaken for a form of lead when first discovered in England. Graphite is in fact a form of carbon, and is non-toxic. Pencils have never been made from lead, but it was not until the late 18th century that the true composition of the material was identified, and the original name stuck. Modern pencil cores contain an extruded blend of pulverised graphite and clay.

Because graphite is soft than others and have some brightness

Because in graphite the two layes slip over each other due to less tightly coavalent bonding btween these layers. This makes graphite a lubricant.