Element 6 · Non-Metal
Carbon
Carbon — the basis of all life, the hardest natural mineral (diamond), and the conductor in every battery.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
C
ATOMIC NO.
6
ATOMIC WEIGHT
12.011
CATEGORY
Non-Metal
PERIOD
Period 2
GROUP
Group 14
Discovery & History
Carbon has been used by humans since prehistory in the form of charcoal. It was recognised as a distinct element by Antoine Lavoisier in 1789, who named it carbon (from the Latin “carbo” for coal or charcoal). Abraham Darby’s use of coke (purified coal carbon) in iron smelting from 1709 transformed the Industrial Revolution. Diamond was identified as a form of carbon in the 18th century.
Where It's Used
Carbon is used in steelmaking as coke and as a carbon content regulator, in carbon fibre composites for aerospace and sports equipment, graphite electrodes in electric arc furnaces, activated carbon for water and air filtration, and industrial diamonds for cutting and drilling. It is also the basis of all organic chemistry and petrochemicals.
Can You Sell It?
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Carbon:
Carbon is not a metal and appears in scrap streams only as an impurity or alloying element (in steel). Elemental carbon in commercial forms (graphite, coke, carbon fibre) is not processed at scrap yards — each form has its own specialist recycling or disposal route.
Price Guide
Industrial carbon prices vary by form: metallurgical coke trades around £120–350/tonne, graphite electrodes at £1,200–5,000/tonne, and carbon fibre at £20–65/kg. There is no single scrap price for carbon as an element.