A Nacional de Grafite

What A Nacional de Grafite does

A Nacional de Grafite is a privately held Brazilian mining and processing company founded in 1939 that extracts and refines natural crystalline graphite for industrial applications. The company operates three production plants in the state of Minas Gerais—Itapecerica (headquarters and R&D center), Pedra Azul, and Salto da Divisa—alongside a commercial office on Paulista Avenue in São Paulo. Stated production capacity is approximately 70,000 tonnes per year, sourced from combined flake-type ore reserves of roughly 50 million tonnes across the Pedra Azul and Salto da Divisa deposits. Its product portfolio comprises eight branded lines: Graflake (flake graphite larger than 150 microns, 87-99.9% carbon), Grafine (fine-grain graphite under 150 microns), Micrograf (micronized graphite, 3-60 microns, up to 99.9% carbon), Supergraf (carbon additive for steel and cast iron), Hidrograf (water-based graphite dispersions), Grafexp (expandable graphite expanding up to 150x volume), Grafmax (high-purity battery graphite), and Grafsolo (agricultural seed lubricant). The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified, holds an in-house R&D center, and pursues co-development partnerships with Brazilian universities and research institutes.

Revenue is generated through direct sales from the São Paulo commercial office and a network of international distributors serving customers across five continents. Pricing follows a request-for-quotation (RFQ) model with no public price disclosure, reflecting a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market approach. Customer segments are horizontally diversified: primary end-uses include portable energy and battery manufacturers (alkaline, lithium-ion, fuel cells), industrial parts and components (carbon brushes, brake pads, powder metallurgy), metallurgy (carbon additives for steel and cast iron), refractories (high-temperature industrial linings), and industrial lubricants; secondary segments include polymers (flame retardants) and agriculture (seed lubrication).

The company has been controlled by the Cordeiro family since 1942, currently under Clóvis Cordeiro following the 2013 succession from Maria Antonieta Junqueira Netto Cordeiro. A Nacional de Grafite positions itself as a world leader in crystalline natural graphite mining and processing, leveraging mineral rights over one of the world's largest known graphite reserves, vertically integrated operations from ore to finished product, and a sustainability program covering water reuse, waste transformation, and area rehabilitation.

Name

A Nacional de Grafite

Legal name

A NACIONAL DE GRAFITE LTDA.

Website

https://grafite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Brazilian private mining company founded in 1939 that extracts and processes natural crystalline graphite for industrial applications including batteries, metallurgy, refractories, lubricants, polymers, and agriculture, serving global customers from production facilities in Minas Gerais.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Minerals & Graphite Products

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992)

SIC

Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural Graphite Mining & Concentrates (IMAKAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery Raw Materials Mining & Refining (Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Graphite) (EUAFABAA), Battery Materials Refining & Re-Manufacturing Feedstocks (Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Graphite Salts) (EUAIAIAJ)

Keywords

• Natural graphite mining
• Crystalline graphite processing
• Flake graphite products
• Expandable graphite materials
• Battery grade graphite

Headquarters

HQ city

Itapecerica

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Graphite Product Sales: Nacional de Grafite generates revenue by mining and processing natural high-quality crystalline graphite into various product lines (Graflake, Grafine, Micrograf, Supergraf, Hidrograf, Grafexp, Grafmax, Grafsolo) and selling them to industrial customers across multiple sectors. Products are sold directly and through distributors on five continents. Revenue is derived from the sale of physical graphite materials with varying carbon purities, particle sizes, and processing grades tailored to customer applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

A Nacional de Grafite mines and processes natural crystalline graphite from its reserves in Minas Gerais, Brazil, producing eight branded product lines (Graflake, Grafexp, Grafine, Micrograf, Supergraf, Hidrograf, Grafmax, Grafsolo) for industrial applications in portable energy, metallurgy, refractories, lubrication, polymers, and agriculture. The company operates three integrated production units with a combined annual capacity of approximately 70,000 tonnes, selling directly and through international distributors on five continents.

Product overview

A Nacional de Grafite is a Brazilian graphite mining and processing company founded in 1939 that offers a complete portfolio of high-quality natural crystalline graphite products for industrial applications. The product portfolio includes Grafexp (expandable graphite for fire protection), Grafine (fine grain graphite for refractories and brake pads), Graflake (flake graphite for crucibles and refractory applications), Grafmax (high-purity graphite for battery and portable energy markets), Grafsolo (seed lubricant for precision agriculture), Hidrograf (water-based graphite dispersions for forging and sealing), Micrograf (micronized graphite for plastics, lubricants, and powder metallurgy), and Supergraf (carbon additive for metallurgical applications in steel and cast iron). The company operates three production facilities near graphite reserves in Minas Gerais and a commercial office in São Paulo, producing approximately 70,000 tonnes of graphite annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grafexp: High purity expandable graphite with different particle sizes and levels of expandability for fire protection and intumescent products.
• Grafine
• Graflake
• Grafmax
• Grafsolo
• Hidrograf
• Micrograf
• Supergraf

Products and services

• Graflake Flake grade graphite products with average particle size larger than 150 microns (100 mesh ASTM) and carbon content ranging from 87% to 99.9%, sourced from mines at Pedra Azul and Salto da Divisa. Used for refractories, crucibles, and expandable graphite production.
• Grafexp High purity expandable/intercalated graphite that expands up to 150 times its original volume when subjected to high temperatures. Used for intumescent fire protection products, flexible sheets, and anti-piping compounds.
• Grafine Natural crystalline graphite with fine grains and average particle size less than 150 microns, with carbon content from 72% to 99.9%, produced via structural preservation of crystal lattice. Used in refractories, brake pads, sintered parts, and friction coatings.
• Micrograf Micronized graphite products with average particle size (d50) between 3 and 60 microns, produced using jet and hammer mills and particle classifiers, with carbon purity up to 99.9%. Used in sintered metal parts, carbon brushes, pencil leads, lubricants, plastics, and lead-acid batteries.
• Supergraf Natural crystalline graphite carbon additive for steel and cast iron production with controlled and monitored carbon content, very low impurity levels (ultra-low sulphur, nitrogen), no moisture absorption allowing long-term storage, and resistance to oxidation and chemicals.
• Hidrograf Natural crystalline graphite in aqueous suspension (water-based dispersions) with dispersing and stabilising elements, with average particle size (d50) of 7 to 9 microns and minimum 99.5% carbon concentration. Used in forges, release agents, seals, hydraulic cardboards, and gaskets.
• Grafmax High purity graphite with modified physical characteristics for portable power markets, including conductive additives in cathode mixes for primary alkaline batteries, secondary batteries, lithium ion batteries, and fuel cells. Carbon purity up to 99.9% with controlled particle morphology, distribution, and rheological characteristics optimised for battery performance.
• Grafsolo Graphite-based seed lubricant that creates a lubricating layer on seed surfaces to reduce friction during planting, preventing loss of germination power and irregular planting. Proven inert, non-toxic and non-perishable, supported by published university studies from Embrapa and Federal University of Viçosa.

Quantifiable outcome

• Studies show seed germination loss of up to 12.5% in chemically treated corn seeds due to friction during planting, which Grafsolo eliminates
• +3 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Universities and Research InstitutessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNacional de Grafite maintains technical agreements with universities and research institutes, using their professionals and equipment to add resources and information necessary for research projects. New solutions are developed in partnership with customers and in line with current and future market needs. The company also collaborates with academic institutions for its Grafsolo product studies, with published research from Embrapa, Federal University of Viçosa, and other institutions validating product performance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• EcoGraf: Australian-listed company developing purified graphite processing for battery anodes using a proprietary purification route. Emerging player focused specifically on the battery-grade graphite downstream market that Grafmax also addresses.
• Talga Group: Australian-listed advanced materials company developing graphite anode products from its Vittangi project in Sweden. Emerging competitor pursuing natural graphite battery anode materials with focus on European EV supply chains.

Direct peers

• Imerys: French multinational minerals specialist that acquired Timcal and now operates natural graphite processing for battery and industrial markets in Canada, Belgium, and elsewhere. Closest large-scale Western competitor with overlapping product portfolio (micronized, expandable, conductive graphite).
• Syrah Resources: Australian-listed natural graphite miner/processor operating the Balama mine in Mozambique, one of the largest natural flake graphite mines globally. Direct competitor in supplying high-purity natural graphite to battery and industrial markets.
• Nouveau Monde Graphite: Canadian-advanced graphite miner developing the Matawinie mine and Bécancour battery materials plant. Competitor targeting the same lithium-ion battery anode material market with vertically integrated natural graphite.
• Northern Graphite: Canadian graphite mining and processing company focused on flake graphite for batteries and industrial applications. Comparable vertically integrated producer targeting the same natural graphite end markets.
• Tirupati Graphite: India-listed graphite processor with operations in Madagascar producing flake and high-purity natural graphite for batteries, refractories, and lubricants. Direct competitor in specialty natural graphite products.

Broad incumbents

• SGL Carbon: German carbon and graphite products manufacturer serving automotive, energy, and industrial markets. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in synthetic and specialty graphite electrodes, machined parts, and battery/fuel cell components.
• Tokai Carbon: Japanese carbon and graphite products company with global operations producing graphite electrodes, fine carbon, and friction materials. Major incumbent in industrial graphite with broader carbon-portfolio breadth beyond mining.
• Graphite India: India's largest graphite electrode manufacturer serving steel and metallurgy end markets. Overlapping customer base for Supergraf-type carbon additives used in iron and steel production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nacional-de-grafite-com

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A Nacional de Grafite