What Minerals Are in a Pencil Lead: Names and Using

The regular pencil is a widespread writing tool and everyone has at least one. Still, only some people may think about its consistency and how it was created. This article will reveal the creating of this handy device and answer the questions about what minerals are in a pencil.

What Kind of Minerals Are Found in a Common Pencil Lead?

You might have wondered that the pencil lead consist of lead (the chemical element), and you may be astonished, but, the “lead” doesn’t refer to the material. Don’t worry, you are not the one who is confused by this matter, but the the word “lead” occured because of the not enough expertise and a piece of graphite looked like lead, that is why they named it black lead. In addition, plumbago is a kind of ore, that is not appropriate for writing. Thus, it had to be made from material that can produce marks on any area, but mostly on paper. Black lead is the most appropriate and ideal element for such task. Therefore, inventors started to mix graphite powder and clay; while graphite is a natural mineral, clay consists of different minerals.

Black Lead

In the middle ages, pencils were made by fastening a piece of black lead between two rounded wooden dies, since graphite can produce black writing. As time passed, the technology for producing ”black writing lead” was enhanced. People found out that varying the quantity of graphite powder and rock clay allowed for regulating the core’s hardness and blackness. Subsequently, the prepared mixture had to be fired for a few hours in a specially designed kiln, which made the product hard enough to withstand any surface and not split. Actually, this technology is still being used by modern manufacturers, but, some of the exterior appearance was slightly changed. As a result, the amount of graphite powder can be changed according to what type of core the manufacturer wishes to achieve: the more graphite powder mixed in, the blacker the core is, and usually, it is equal to 30 percent.

Clay Material

Rock clay is another ingredient that is significant in creating the core for a pencil. First, the rock clay is needed because of its binding properties. It also imparts strength to the product. Therefore, while graphite powder makes core blacker, the rock clay makes it more rigid. That is why the amount of clay can also be adjusted according to what kind of lead the manufacturer wants to achieve. By the way, pencil lead consists at least of two types of rock clay: calcium bentonite and Georgia kaolin clay, and their percentage is around 60 to 40 percent accordingly.

In Closing

Although everybody uses wooden pencils, your curiosity about what they are used as materials for pencils has allowed you to find out more about this device. As you can see, the content of the lead is not so complicated and now you know all the facts related to what forms a pencil and what types of minerals it includes.