are then dry blended with a thermoplastic material preferably in powder form any thermoplastic material preferably one having a low melting temperature may be used to form a suitable mixture with particles of flexible graphite thermoplastic polymers which are reaction products of ethylene glycol and ethylene oxide such as polyethylene or the commercially available product 34 polyox 34 a trademark product of union carbide corporation is particularly suited to the present invention the weight ratio of thermoplastic powder to particles of flexible graphite is primarily dependent upon the density of the flexible graphite particles the particle sizing and the density of the thermoplastic in general on a weight basis a higher density flexible graphite requires a higher percentage of thermoplastic most commercially available flexible graphite 34 foil 34 sheet has a density of about 70 lb ft 3 for this standard density flexible graphite product a weight ratio of 100 parts of the particles of flexible graphite to 25 parts of thermoplastic powder is acceptable the preferred range is between 10 35 by weight thermoplastic powder with the remainder being particles of flexible graphite the dry blended mixture of flexible graphite particles and thermoplastic powder are compressed under a compressive load with the thermoplastic material in a plastic.