Why is lead in pencils

A decade later, A. Werner decided that this carbon material needed a new name and proposed the name "graphite" based on the Greek word "graphein" which means "to write". Black-core pencils currently contain and have always contained graphite, not lead. Carbon is the sixth element on the periodic table and is famous for forming the backbone of molecules found in fuels and in all living organisms.

Aside from biological molecules, carbon can also be found in nature in pure mineral form. Depending on the shapes in which the carbon atoms are bonded, pure carbon can take on many forms. In diamond, each carbon atom is bonded tetrahedrally to its four nearest carbon atoms. This tightly packed arrangement of carbon atoms makes diamond the hardest naturally occurring material on earth. In contrast, graphite contains a stack of carbon sheets. Each carbon sheet is one atom thick and consists of a hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms bonded together.

Then a rich and unbroken deposit of the highest-quality graphite was uncovered; a find that yielded pieces of pure ore weighing as much as 80 pounds! Pencils using Asian graphite were painted yellow as an indication of the source of the superior material in the writing core. Click here to learn more about the HB Scale for grading graphite leads. Beyond graphite pencils there are other types of pencil leads used for many different purposes.

These make a very dark black mark on the paper compared to even very soft graphite pencils, such as 8B. Some basic sets of color pencils come with 12 or 24 colors per carton, but other high quality sets for art purposes include up to different colors or more. Mechanical Clutch Carpenter Pencil Refills. Search Search our store Search.

Looking for Small Business Saturday ideas? We specialize in small business and are full…. A healthy attitude of…. Are you personalizing…. Home Product Spotlight. Natural graphite is used in many ways, from batteries to brake linings to pencils, of course. Catherine O. Next What is a Stylus? Published by Catherine O. Related Post. Basically, EDC refers…. Recent Posts.