Graphite of Zavalye field was opened in the early 1920^th. It is located in the central densely populated area of Ukraine neighboring on Kirovograd and Odessa regions. The field territory is about 50 km². The main part of the field and producing plant are located in Gayvoron district, Kirovograd region.

Zavalye graphite producing plant was founded in 1930. Graphite improvement plant was put into operation in 1934. Its full capacity was 3 000 tons of graphite per year. The capacity was reached up to 40 000 tons per year due to plant reconstruction in 1948, 1958 and 1969. The recrement processing plant was put into service in 1994.

Graphite ore is produced by open-cut method.

The B+C₁ category explored graphite reserves of the field are determined by 6 418 800 tons. The graphite content of ore is in the rage of 5-7%.

Graphite in ore is represented by large flakes integrated in 4-6 mm needles and strips bound together and with other minerals.

The ore is represented by kaolinized gneiss which contains not only graphite but biotite, chlorite, garnet, pyroxene, quartz, and sillimanite.

The total garnet reserves are 3 million 430 thousand tons. The garnet content of gneiss is 10%.

At present, ore is produced from the 'Yugo-Vostochny' quarry which is 160 m in depth. The original ground is about 2 x 1 km.

Graphite is extracted from ore by flotation in concentration plant.

The average carbon content of the main process concentrate is 88%. Dispersion grade is 40 to 200 mm. The concentrate gives more than 10 grades of graphite with carbon content 78% to     92%. The part of main process flotation concentrate is processed to additional benefication. As a result the concentrate is upgraded to carbon content 95%. The products are oriented to a large-scale manufacturing.

The main processes include bucking, flotation, dehydration, drying, bolting, chemical processing, and air-swept milling.

Main manufacturing facilities

·      Processing Plant: crude graphite which is produced by flotation - GL, GT, GE, EUZ, P, etc.

·      Graphite Chemical Processing Workshop - GAK, GSM, C, etc.

·      Workshops of Colloid-Graphite Preparations and Lubricant Fluids based on chemically processed and grinding graphite .

·      Mine Transport Workshop delivers ore to the Processing Plant.

Processing Plant

The processing line for manufacturing of graphite is a continuous chain of series processing equipment, devices and mechanisms which are used in the process from ore crushing (raw material) to packaging of final products and placing tails to the tailing pit.

The main equipment are used for crushing (jaw and cone crushers), for wet reduction (ball mills), for processing (spiral sorter, flotators, hydrocyclones, pumps), for transportation of tails, preparation of liquid glass and etc.

Graphite Chemical Processing Workshop

Graphite is subjected to chemical processing so that the graphite content should be 99,0%. The processing technique is based on high temperature processing of crude graphite with soda ash or caustic soda. As a result, insolubles pass into soluble elements, and graphite becomes clean while washing.

The main equipment for graphite chemical processing are electrical drum furnaces, reactors, filter press, drying oven, and separators.

Workshops of Colloid-Graphite Preparations and Lubricant Fluids

Colloid-graphite preparations and lubricant fluids are produced from chemically pure graphite reduced to microns and mixed with the corresponding components.

Crushers, mixers, fixtures, and filling machines are used for production of colloid-graphite preparations and lubricant fluids.

Mill Transport Workshop

Mill Transport Workshop delivers ore to the Processing Plant. The main equipment are boring rigs, excavators, tractor dozers, motor graders, hydraulic loaders, KRAZ and BelAZ trucks.

Natural graphite is raven, fatty, inert, heat-resistant, good heat and electricity conductor, non-corrosive, antistatic, lubricating, and high pressure resistant. Each above mentioned quality makes graphite many-sided material which may be used in cast iron industry, steel-casting industry, refractory products, crucibles, graphite brushes, lubricants, liners, paints, electric shield inks, antistatic coats, accumulators, drilling admixtures, self-lubricating mechanisms such as bearings and fillers, explosive materials, for 'dry' drilling applied in oil and gas industry. The above list is incomplete.

Graphite of Zavalye field has almost ideal crystal structure. Zavalye graphite is highly ranked on international markets due to easiness of scavenging its impurities (it is free of sulfur, different additive agents and water). It outstrips Chinese and Russian graphite in quality.

The following graphite, colloid-graphite preparations, garnet concentrates are produced:

·      GL - casting graphite for drilling, oil and gas producing industry, metal-working industry, cast iron industry, and steel-casting industry);

·      GT - crucible graphite for manufacturing of refractory products, melting crucibles;

·      GE - battery graphite for manufacturing of high quality galvanic cells;

·      GSM - special low-ash graphite for manufacturing of artificial diamonds;

·      EUZ-E - graphite for manufacturing of carbon electrodes;

·      EUZ-M - graphite for manufacturing of electrocarbon products, electrodes and brushes;

·      GAK - graphite for manufacturing of accumulator battery;

·      GK - pencil graphite;

·      S-0 - dry colloid-graphite preparations for graphite mixtures and lubricants;

·      KG - garnet concentrates are widely used for water high pressure cutting of materials and manufacturing of abrasive materials (grinding wheels, emery cloth, etc.).

It is possible to set questions by the specified phones in Russia +7 3512 300701 or on email bn72@mail.ru.

manager Nail Bashirov