Scientific publications

The article analyzes the current state of research on graphite ores, demand for them, and their main uses in the global economy. A geological and mineralogical-technological predictive assessment of the large Ihala deposit of large flake graphite (Republic of Karelia) is provided. A comprehensive analysis of the phase composition and structural features of natural graphite from the Ihala deposit and the products of its enrichment has been conducted. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), and Raman scattering (RS) showed that the initial raw material was highly mineralized (with a carbon phase content of up to 64.3 %, with impurities such as quartz, feldspars, sulfides, and biotite). It was also demonstrated that different enrichment methods can produce concentrates with significantly different polymorphic carbon compositions, ranging from 95 % carbon content with a predominance of the hexagonal α-graphite modification (flotation concentrate from the KarRC RAS) to 96.1 % (including 9 % of the rhombohedral β-graphite modification). Raman spectroscopy revealed significant microheterogeneity in all samples, manifested in the coexistence of zones of ideal (I_D/I_G = 0.012) and defective (I_D/I_G = 0.22) graphite. The detected structural and phase features reflect the metamorphogenic genesis of the deposit. The integrated approach for assessing the quality of graphite concentrates proved effective, and outputs of the applied methods were in good alignment. The results are important for optimizing enrichment technologies and predicting the properties of graphite materials.