A Complete Guide of Graphite Electrode


Graphite has many advantages that have made it the most used material for EDM electrodes:
             It is very easy to machine.
             It is very resistant to thermal shocks.
             It has a low coefficient of thermal expansion (3 times higher than copper) that guarantees the stability of the electrode geometry during machining with electric shock.
             It is available in large blocks.
             It does not melt, it transforms directly from the solid state to the gaseous state at 3,400 ° C. avoiding wear.
             It provides a higher rate of metal removal than copper but with less wear.
             It has the unique characteristic that wear tends to decrease when the current increases.
More about Graphite
The graphite electrode used for EDM machining is an isotropic material with a grain size ranging from a few micrometers to about 20 micrometers. In the 70s, improvements made by graphite manufacturers (isotropic properties, constant quality, and large billets) combined with the appearance of EDM machines equipped with iso-plus generators, allowed graphite to become the most used material for EDM electrode machining.


The graphite can be separated into three groups:
1. Large-grained graphite of low density.
2. Fine-grained graphite of high density.
3. Fine grain graphite.
Large grain electrode paste is used for slab machining while fine grain graphite produces the best surface finish. As graphite has become more accessible, EDM machining shops offer inventory of two or even three grades of graphite. The least expensive for the roughing is the graphite of big grain, followed by the graphite of fine grain for the finishing, or the combination of both for finishing and distaste and possibly a graffito of very fine grain for operations of very fine finishing and that require high accuracy. 

Configuration

the graphite used in negative polarity gives a machining speed higher than the positive polarity with a wear rate of approximately 20%, regardless of the intensity level. However, positive polarity machining leads to wear rates of approximately 10% to 50% in the finishing mode and approximately 0% in the roughing mode. while decreasing the risk of abnormal discharges, mentioned above.
In practice, the operator will normally use graphite in positive polarity when in rough mode, with the exception of holes through the material where wear is not a critical factor. Machining in the finishing mode is carried out in negative or positive polarity depending on the stability of the process. To obtain the stability of the process, it is advisable to use smaller current densities in negative polarity than in positive polarity.
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