Graphite electrodes are produced by crushing petroleum coke and needle coke with a binder pitch, then forming the mixture into a desired shape through kneading and extrusion. The formed product is then "baked" to a high temperature, optionally impregnated with more pitch to increase density, and finally subjected to high-temperature graphitization (at over 2500°C) to transform the carbon into crystalline graphite. After graphitization and cooling, the electrodes are machined to their final dimensions.
