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Randy Holmes-Farley
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Should be almost completely inert in a reef tank. 
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Graphite is a specific chemical. Some types might fall apart more easily than others, but it won't dissolve in water and won't interact significantly with organisms.
FWIW, devices you might not think of contain it, such as some conductivity probe electrodes. It is picked because it is so inert.
FWIW, devices you might not think of contain it, such as some conductivity probe electrodes. It is picked because it is so inert.
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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FWIW, the lead in a pencil is graphite unless it is colored. Graphite is pure carbon in flat sheets.
UK_Pete
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Other way round Cory - pencil lead is actually graphite (or is that what you meant?). Actually graphite is fascinating, one of those super substances, which has all sorts of different properties depending on its form and manufacture method. Its frequently manufactured with additives which modify its properties (I think by making it take different atomic structures IIRC), so what do you want to use it for and what source of graphite do you want to use (ie whats it made for)? The additives might not be reef safe even though pure graphite is.
Edit: Ah Randy beat me to it. Also, im not sure if graphite taking different forms is technically correct or not - is it carbon that takes the different forms and graphite is one, or is it graphite having many? Dunno now... doh.
Edit: Ah Randy beat me to it. Also, im not sure if graphite taking different forms is technically correct or not - is it carbon that takes the different forms and graphite is one, or is it graphite having many? Dunno now... doh.
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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Graphite (two slightly different forms, alpha and beta), buckyballs, amorphous carbon, and diamond are all forms of carbon.
This has more:
BIOdotEDU
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im pretty sure they used to use lead as a pencil. But maybe just a brain fart. Iirc it was changed because of toxicity?
Ukpete, I'm not telling what it's being used for- been there with biopellets!
Actually this link tells why it's called lead:
Why Pencil "Lead" is Called "Lead"
Ukpete, I'm not telling what it's being used for- been there with biopellets!
Actually this link tells why it's called lead:
Why Pencil "Lead" is Called "Lead"
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UK_Pete
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OK fair play Cory! I dont remember the biopellets thing but I know where youre coming from
Adding to Randys comments above about carbon, the strongest threads known to man are made from another form of carbon (nanotubes), hundreds of times stronger than high tensile steel, and pyrocarbon is another interesting form of it (graphite this time), a substance which will levitate itself above magnets at room temperature! One day I intend to try to make a bit of this one, I always wanted to make high temperature super conductors when I was in school and new scientist magazine did an article on how schools could make it but we never got round to it.
Adding to Randys comments above about carbon, the strongest threads known to man are made from another form of carbon (nanotubes), hundreds of times stronger than high tensile steel, and pyrocarbon is another interesting form of it (graphite this time), a substance which will levitate itself above magnets at room temperature! One day I intend to try to make a bit of this one, I always wanted to make high temperature super conductors when I was in school and new scientist magazine did an article on how schools could make it but we never got round to it.
FWIW, the lead in a pencil is graphite unless it is colored. Graphite is pure carbon in flat sheets.
Don't you mean graphene? That is one atom thick sheet of carbon. That stuff would be interesting in the water, because nanoparticles can get literally anywhere. Fortunately there were no known problems with getting nano materials into your system. It is speculated that some (like fullerenes) can even works like anti-oxidant.
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Don't you mean graphene? That is one atom thick sheet of carbon. That stuff would be interesting in the water, because nanoparticles can get literally anywhere. Fortunately there were no known problems with getting nano materials into your system. It is speculated that some (like fullerenes) can even works like anti-oxidant.
I meant graphite, but I agree graphene is also flat sheets. Graphene is one layer thick, graphite is many.
