Sri Lanka is the only country to mine ultra-pure highly crystalline vein graphite with more than 98% of carbon purity in the world over the last 100+ years, and it is world renowned for its superior quality and uniqueness.
The existence of graphite in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) has been known since 1675 when the Dutch governor, mentions the existence of veins of ‘pot loop’ in the hills and maritime provinces. Serious mining and export of graphite in Sri Lanka began in 1824 with graphite exports peaking in 1899.

Sri Lankan graphite production declined slowly with small revivals during the First and Second World Wars, when 30,000 metric tons of natural graphite was exported per year and over 6,000 shallow workings, pits and Graphite (locally known as ‘Miniran’) mines were mostly located in North Western and South Western parts of the island.

Natural graphite from Sri Lanka is of very high quality reaching 99.9 percent carbon and the averages vary from 90 to 96 percent.

Main industrial applications are the manufacture of crucible linings of steel furnaces, carbon-aluminum bricks, carbon brushes, refractory bricks, carbon –cinema arcs, electrodes, paints lubricants and golf sticks. Graphite of high purity is also used in TV screens and reactors as a shield to prevent emission of radiation in nuclear power plant.

Use of natural vein graphite attracts higher attention to all technological product manufactures in the world mainly due to their greater attention to make their manufacturing more greener and environment friendly.