IG-110 isotropic graphite IG-110

C (carbon

Also known as IG-110

IG-110 is a fine-grained, isostatically pressed graphite made by Toyo Tanso and qualified by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) as a candidate material for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor.

8 sources · Updated 2026-11-02 · CC BY 4.0

Evidence level

2 of 5

Lab-measured

Density

1.77 g/cm³

Grain size

20 µm

Strength

34 MPa

Heat conduction

129 W/m/K

Oxidation in air

195 kJ/mol

Recipe, share of the weight

  • C not statedCarbon filler
  • not statedBinder carbon
  • not statedPores

Best for

Reference nuclear graphite where ORNL baseline and irradiation data for the grade matter, such as reactor-core qualification studies

Weakest at

Irradiation and air oxidation: thermal conductivity falls sharply after neutron irradiation, and the graphite oxidizes in air at high temperature

Risk at a glance

  • People Low. No IG-110 hazard data found; nearest is carbon
  • If it fails High. Oxidation of hot graphite in air
  • Corrosion Moderate. In air, IG-110 oxidizes, and the rate rises steeply with temperature.

Quick facts: IG-110

Key properties of IG-110
PropertyValueBasis
Density1.76 to 1.77 g/cm³2 sourced values across conditions
Tensile strength14.9 MPa1 sourced value
Young's modulus8.77 to 9.7 GPa3 sourced values across conditions
Thermal conductivity2.8 to 130 W/m/K3 sourced values across conditions
Thermal expansion (CTE)4.2 to 4.5 ppm/K2 sourced values across conditions

What is the density of IG-110 isotropic graphite?

IG-110 isotropic graphite has a density of 1.76 to 1.77 g/cm³. The range covers 2 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.

What is the thermal conductivity of IG-110 isotropic graphite?

IG-110 isotropic graphite has a thermal conductivity of 2.8 to 130 W/m/K. The range covers 3 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.

What is the coefficient of thermal expansion of IG-110 isotropic graphite?

IG-110 isotropic graphite has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 4.2 to 4.5 ppm/K. The range covers 2 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.

What is the tensile strength of IG-110 isotropic graphite?

IG-110 isotropic graphite has a tensile strength of 14.9 MPa. The source and test conditions are listed in the properties table on this page.

What is the Young's modulus of IG-110 isotropic graphite?

IG-110 isotropic graphite has a Young's modulus of 8.77 to 9.7 GPa. The range covers 3 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.

What is IG-110 isotropic graphite used for?

Uses recorded in the sources include Core graphite structures in a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (candidate material, not a deployed use); Semiconductor manufacturing parts made from isotropic graphite (the industry is named; IG-110 is not named).

Why it exists

IG-110 is an isotropic nuclear graphite made by Toyo Tanso. Isotropic means its properties are nearly the same in every direction. ORNL and Toyo Tanso ran a joint program to qualify it for a Generation-IV high temperature gas-cooled reactor. The program measured its baseline properties and how neutron irradiation changes them, and the results are published in ORNL reports.

Where it's used

Reactor core candidate

ORNL and Toyo Tanso qualified IG-110 as a candidate material for a Generation-IV high temperature gas-cooled reactor. The sources we hold describe this as a qualification role, not a deployed use.

Semiconductor industry

Toyo Tanso names the semiconductor industry as a user of its isotropic graphite. Its page does not name IG-110 in that list, so this is an industry-level claim.

Recipe

C (carbon; synthetic graphite made from petroleum-based carbon materials)

IG-110 is a synthetic graphite made from petroleum-based carbon materials and formed by isostatic pressing. ORNL describes nuclear graphite as a composite of filler, binder and pores, and says the vendor's process details are proprietary.

What IG-110 is made of
IngredientShare of the weightWhat it does
Carbon filler C not stated Carbon particles from a petroleum-based coke that form most of the graphite skeleton
Binder carbon not stated Carbon that binds the filler together after forming, baking and graphitization
Pores not stated Open and closed voids that set the density and strength of the finished block

Weight shares are as printed in the sources.

What it can do

Density

1.77 g/cm³

measured

ORNL measured a bulk density of 1.77 g/cm3 before irradiation, so one cubic centimetre of the graphite weighs about 1.77 grams.

Grain size

20 µm

measured

The average grain size is 20 µm, printed in ORNL's 2022 review. This is the finest of the three nuclear graphites that review compares.

Strength

34 MPa

measured

Flexural strength is 34 MPa in the axial direction and 36 MPa in the transverse direction, before irradiation, in ORNL's 2018 report.

Heat conduction

129 W/m/K

measured

Thermal conductivity at 25 °C is 129 W/m/K in the axial direction before irradiation. After irradiation, one specimen read 2.80 W/m/K.

Oxidation in air

195 kJ/mol

measured

Air oxidation has an activation energy of 195 kJ/mol in one data set and 187 kJ/mol in another, both printed in ORNL's 2022 review.

How it compares

Among the three nuclear graphites that ORNL compares in its 2022 review, IG-110 has by far the finest average grain. PCEA is extruded and NBG-18 is vibrationally molded, while IG-110 is isostatically pressed. The forming method and the fine grain are the two features that separate IG-110 from the other two grades in that review.

The same measurements for each material, so you can compare them. Each row names the key condition under the value; the full conditions and methods are in the numbered notes under Technical details. Compare every grade in the family.

Benchmarks
MeasurementIG-110
Capacity and energy
Activation energy for air oxidation, Smith data set195 kJ/mol20
Activation energy for air oxidation, Fuller data set187 kJ/mol21
Activation energy for air oxidation, Chi data set169 kJ/mol22
Thermal behavior and safety
Thermal conductivity at 25 °C, TD4 specimens, axial129 W/m/K12
Thermal conductivity at 25 °C, TD4 specimens, transverse130 W/m/K13
Thermal conductivity at 500 °C, TD4 specimens, axial73 W/m/K14
Thermal conductivity at 500 °C, TD4 specimens, transverse77 W/m/K15
Thermal conductivity after neutron irradiation, sample T11T152.8 W/m/K23
Lifetime and stability
Volume change after neutron irradiation, sample T10T06-7.39 %24
Physical and electrical
Bulk density, pre-irradiation specimens1.77 g/cm³1
Bulk density, ORNL 2022 Table 11.761 g/cm³2
Other measurements
Dynamic Young's modulus, MB specimens, axial9.1 GPa3
Dynamic Young's modulus, MB specimens, transverse9.7 GPa4
Compression strength, CRS specimens, axial77 MPa5
Compression strength, CRS specimens, transverse77 MPa6
4-point flexural strength, MB specimens, axial34 MPa7
4-point flexural strength, MB specimens, transverse36 MPa8
Mean coefficient of thermal expansion at 500 °C, MB axial4.5 ppm/K9
Mean coefficient of thermal expansion at 500 °C, MB transverse4.2 ppm/K10
Isotropy ratio of thermal expansion1.057 -11
Average grain size20 µm16
Ash contentPrinted by ORNL in the general properties table< 10 ppm
Tensile strength, ORNL 2022 Table 114.9 MPa17
Compressive strength, ORNL 2022 Table 173.44 MPa18
Dynamic Young's modulus, ORNL 2022 Table 1Printed by ORNL in the general properties table8.767 GPa19
Poisson's ratioPrinted by ORNL in the general properties table0.157 -

Why choose it, and why not

Good for

  • Reference data. ORNL measured baseline values for IG-110 in two reports and one 2022 review.
  • Reactor-core qualification work, where irradiation data for this grade already exist.
  • Parts that need similar strength in both directions: the flexural strength is 34 MPa axially and 36 MPa transversely.

Watch out for

  • Thermal conductivity falls sharply after irradiation. One specimen dropped from 129 W/m/K to 2.80 W/m/K.
  • Hot IG-110 oxidizes in air. The 2022 review reports activation energies of 195 kJ/mol and 187 kJ/mol.
  • Density differs between ORNL sources: 1.77 g/cm3 in the 2018 report and 1.761 g/cm3 in the 2022 review.

IG-110 is a well-documented nuclear graphite with ORNL baseline and irradiation data. Its weak points are irradiation-driven conductivity loss and oxidation in air at high temperature.

Technical details

For scientists and researchers. Everything above comes from the record below: every number with its method, its conditions and its source.

Other names and standards

The same grade under other systems, as datasheets and standards print them. Each code was checked against the page it comes from.

Other names and standards
SystemCodes
Trade nameIG-110

Notes

The method, full conditions and any caveat for the numbered rows above.

Notes for the numbered rows
#MeasurementMethodConditionsCaveat
1Bulk density, pre-irradiation specimensMeasured by ORNL on pre-irradiation specimens and printed in the report tableform isostatically pressed IG-110, as receivedspecimens all specimen shapesreported as average plus or minus 1 sigmaUncertainty: ± 0.017 (1σ)
2Bulk density, ORNL 2022 Table 1Measured at ORNL and printed in Table 1 of the 2022 reviewbasis bulk density by mensuration, IG-110 columngrade column IsotropicThe 2018 ORNL report gives 1.77 and this 2022 table gives 1.761; both values are printed by ORNL and both are kept here.
3Dynamic Young's modulus, MB specimens, axialDynamic Young's modulus measured by ORNL on pre-irradiation specimensspecimen shape MB, as printedorientation AX (axial, with gravity during pressing)temperature not printed in Table 2.2Uncertainty: ± 0.23 (1σ)
4Dynamic Young's modulus, MB specimens, transverseDynamic Young's modulus measured by ORNL on pre-irradiation specimensspecimen shape MB, as printedorientation TR (transverse)temperature not printed in Table 2.2Uncertainty: ± 0.22 (1σ)
5Compression strength, CRS specimens, axialCompression test by ORNL on pre-irradiation specimensspecimen shape CRS, as printedorientation AX (axial)temperature not printed in Table 2.2Uncertainty: ± 3.3 (1σ)
6Compression strength, CRS specimens, transverseCompression test by ORNL on pre-irradiation specimensspecimen shape CRS, as printedorientation TR (transverse)temperature not printed in Table 2.2Uncertainty: ± 2.1 (1σ)
74-point flexural strength, MB specimens, axial4-point flexural test by ORNL on a small subset of pre-irradiation specimenstest 4-point flexuralspecimen shape MB, as printedorientation AX (axial)Uncertainty: ± 1.8 (1σ)
84-point flexural strength, MB specimens, transverse4-point flexural test by ORNL on a small subset of pre-irradiation specimenstest 4-point flexuralspecimen shape MB, as printedorientation TR (transverse)Uncertainty: ± 1.3 (1σ)
9Mean coefficient of thermal expansion at 500 °C, MB axialMean CTE measured by ORNL; the source prints the unit as 10-6 K-1, and the number is unchanged in ppm/Ktemperature mean CTE at 500 °C, as printedspecimen shape MB, as printedorientation AX (axial)Uncertainty: ± 0.04 (1σ)
10Mean coefficient of thermal expansion at 500 °C, MB transverseMean CTE measured by ORNL; the source prints the unit as 10-6 K-1, and the number is unchanged in ppm/Ktemperature mean CTE at 500 °C, as printedspecimen shape MB, as printedorientation TR (transverse)Uncertainty: ± 0.11 (1σ)
11Isotropy ratio of thermal expansionRatio printed by ORNL in the same table as the CTE rowsbasis ratio as printed in Table 2.2, pre-irradiation specimens—
12Thermal conductivity at 25 °C, TD4 specimens, axialThermal conductivity measured by ORNL on a few pre-irradiation specimenstemperature 25 °C, as printedspecimen shape TD4, as printedorientation AX (axial)Uncertainty: ± 7.2 (1σ)
13Thermal conductivity at 25 °C, TD4 specimens, transverseThermal conductivity measured by ORNL on a few pre-irradiation specimenstemperature 25 °C, as printedspecimen shape TD4, as printedorientation TR (transverse)Uncertainty: ± 3.7 (1σ)
14Thermal conductivity at 500 °C, TD4 specimens, axialThermal conductivity measured by ORNL on a few pre-irradiation specimenstemperature 500 °C, as printedspecimen shape TD4, as printedorientation AX (axial)Uncertainty: ± 3.5 (1σ)
15Thermal conductivity at 500 °C, TD4 specimens, transverseThermal conductivity measured by ORNL on a few pre-irradiation specimenstemperature 500 °C, as printedspecimen shape TD4, as printedorientation TR (transverse)Uncertainty: ± 1.4 (1σ)
16Average grain sizePrinted by ORNL as an average value in the general properties tablebasis average grain size, IG-110 column, as printed—
17Tensile strength, ORNL 2022 Table 1Printed by ORNL in the general properties table; the table does not name the testbasis IG-110 column of the general properties table; test method not printedThe test method is not printed. This is a different test from the 34 MPa flexural value in the 2018 report, so the two are not directly comparable.
18Compressive strength, ORNL 2022 Table 1Printed by ORNL in the general properties table; the table does not name the testbasis IG-110 column of the general properties table; test method not printedThe test method is not printed. The 2018 report gives 77 MPa for axial compression specimens (Table 2.2), so the two sources are shown side by side.
19Dynamic Young's modulus, ORNL 2022 Table 1—basis IG-110 column of the general properties tableThis 2022 value differs from the 9.1 GPa axial and 9.7 GPa transverse values in the 2018 report; both are kept.
20Activation energy for air oxidation, Smith data setArrhenius fit of oxidation rate data for IG-110 in air, as tabulated by ORNLatmosphere air (21% O2)temperature range 536 to 695 °Cflow rate 10 L/minspecimen cylinder, 2.54 D x 5.08 H cmThe same table gives 187 kJ/mol for the Fuller data set and 169 kJ/mol for the Chi data set, measured over other temperature ranges.
21Activation energy for air oxidation, Fuller data setArrhenius fit of oxidation rate data for IG-110 in air, as tabulated by ORNLatmosphere air (21% O2)temperature range 450 to 750 °Cflow rate 0.5 L/minspecimen cylinder, 0.84 D x 1.90 H cm—
22Activation energy for air oxidation, Chi data setArrhenius fit of oxidation rate data for IG-110 in air, as tabulated by ORNLatmosphere air (21% O2)temperature range 603 to 808 °Cflow rate 10 L/minspecimen cylinder, 2.54 D x 2.54 H cm—
23Thermal conductivity after neutron irradiation, sample T11T15Post-irradiation thermal conductivity at 25 °C measured by ORNL on one specimen of the irradiation setstate after neutron irradiationspecimen TD3, TR orientationdesign temperature 300 °Cmeasured temperature 256 °Ctest temperature 25 °Cfluence printed in the source with an exponent, not reproduced hereOne row of the appendix table; irradiated values in that table are far below the 129 W/m/K unirradiated axial value.
24Volume change after neutron irradiation, sample T10T06Post-irradiation volume change (delta V over V0) measured by ORNLstate after neutron irradiationspecimen MB, TR orientationdesign temperature 300 °Cmeasured temperature 410 °Cfluence printed in the source with an exponent, not reproduced here—

Corrosion and compatibility

What happens when it meets other materials and environments.

Corrosion and compatibility
EnvironmentConcernWhat happens
Air at high temperature (dry air, oxidation in the kinetic regime) moderate In air, IG-110 oxidizes, and the rate rises steeply with temperature.1
Metal impurities in the graphite moderate Metal impurities can speed oxidation in an uncontrolled way.2
Corrosion details
#EnvironmentDetailsTest conditions
1 Air at high temperature (dry air, oxidation in the kinetic regime) ORNL's 2022 review tabulates apparent activation energies for IG-110 oxidation in air of 195 kJ/mol (Smith data set) and 187 kJ/mol (Fuller data set). The review says the kinetic regime lies 'approximately between' the quoted range for specimens of the standard shape, provided oxidant supply is ample. temperature 536 to 695 °C in the Smith data setatmosphere air
2 Metal impurities in the graphite ORNL's review states that metal impurities that may act as oxidation catalysts may accelerate oxidation rates in an uncontrollable way. basis general statement in the conclusions, not a measured IG-110 value

Risks and side effects

Hazards to people, what happens when a cell overheats, and how the material is handled and stored.

For people

No safety data sheet for IG-110 itself was found. The nearest record is PubChem's Carbon entry.

Dust
Most company notifications in the Carbon record do not meet GHS hazard criteria. Where codes appear, they are eye irritation and respiratory irritation.

If it is heated in air

These results come from laboratory oxidation tests, not from incidents.

Air oxidation
Air oxidation of IG-110 has activation energies of 195 kJ/mol and 187 kJ/mol in two data sets. ORNL's review shows oxidation rates rising steeply with temperature.

In a reactor

Irradiation changes the material. ORNL's data show a large drop in conductivity and a measurable volume change.

Thermal conductivity
After irradiation, one specimen read 2.80 W/m/K at 25 °C, against 129 W/m/K before irradiation in the axial direction.
Shape
In another specimen the volume changed by -7.39% after irradiation.

Test details
The original wording and numbers from the sources, for readers who want them.

Failure risks

Failure risks
FailureTrigger and consequence
Oxidation of hot graphite in airhigh severityAir at high temperature; the Smith data set covers 536 to 695 °COxidation rises steeply with temperature (activation energy 195 kJ/mol in the Smith data set). The review reports property changes after oxidation to 'nominally 2.5% and 7.5% weight loss' from older Japanese data, shown in figures only.
Thermal conductivity loss under neutron irradiationhigh severityNeutron irradiation at a 300 °C design temperatureThermal conductivity at 25 °C falls to 2.80 W/m/K in the sampled specimen, against 129 W/m/K axially before irradiation.
Dimensional change under neutron irradiationmoderate severityNeutron irradiation at a 300 °C design temperature and 410 °C measured temperatureVolume changes by -7.39% in sample T10T06 (MB, TR). ORNL reports that length change differs between the two orientations, which it calls unexpected for near-isotropic graphite.

Side effects on surrounding parts

Side effects on surrounding parts
AffectsEffect
Core graphite in a reactor, where heat must still leave the graphiteIrradiation changes the dimensions and the thermal properties of the same graphite, so a part can change shape and lose conduction at the same time (ORNL reports both).

Handling and storage

  • PubChem's Carbon record gives precautionary statement codes for handling, but the wording of those codes is not printed in the record fetched in this run.
  • ORNL measured the oxidation of IG-110 in air at high temperature, so hot graphite should be kept away from air where the process allows.

Mitigations

  • ORNL states it is "imperative" to examine property changes in both distinct directions after irradiation, because length change differed between them.

Supply and geography

How common the raw materials are and where they come from.

Graphite, natural (USGS covers natural graphite; IG-110 is a synthetic grade)

World resources exceed 800 million tons of recoverable graphite outside the United States (USGS, World Resources).

Top producers (2025)
China 82%, Madagascar 4.4%, Tanzania 4.2%
Critical mineral lists
EU: listed
Recycling
USGS: 'The abundance of graphite in the world market inhibits increased recycling efforts.'
Substitutes
USGS: synthetic graphite powder, scrap from machined shapes and calcined petroleum coke compete for iron and steel uses; synthetic graphite powder and secondary synthetic graphite from machined shapes compete for battery uses.

Updated