Patent ID: 7103083

Claim:
A process for preparing a pin for use in forming a graphite electrode joint, the process comprising (a) mixing coke and a pitch binder, to form a stock blend; (b) extruding the stock blend to form a green stock; (c) baking the green stock to form a carbonized stock; (d) graphitizing the carbonized stock by maintaining the carbonized stock at a temperature of at least about 2500° C. to form a graphitized stock; (e) machining the graphitized stock so as to form a pin having at least one male tang having a ratio of male tang length to diameter of the electrode into which it is to be threaded of at least about 0.60, wherein the ratio of the diameter of the male tang at its base to male tang length is no greater than about 2.5 times the ratio of male tang length to electrode diameter.