Apart from the absence of
neutron-absorbing impurities, modern reactor graphites are also characterized by a high degree
of
graphitization and no preferred bulk orientation. Such properties increase the dimensional stability
of the nuclear
graphite at high temperatures and in a high flux of neutrons. The term nuclear
graphite is often, but incorrectly, used for any
graphite material in a
nuclear reactor, even if it serves only for structural purposes.