Abstract: Provided are a heating furnace and a graphite production method both of which allow a carbonization step and a graphitization step to be consecutively performed. The heating furnace is a heating furnace for producing graphite from a polymeric material, and includes a heating furnace body for subjecting the polymeric material to heat treatment. The heating furnace body includes a closed vessel for containing the polymeric material. A gas outlet pipe is connected to the closed vessel, the gas outlet pipe being for letting, out of the heating furnace body, a pyrolytic gas generated from the polymeric material.

Abstract: According to a graphite production method for producing graphite of higher quality, a maximum temperature inside a heating furnace of not less than 2900° C. causes an electrical discharge between a heater and a graphite container, and thus leads to a failure to efficiently convert electrical power into heat of the electrical heater. A graphite production method for producing graphite of higher quality is provided. Graphite having a higher heat diffusivity is obtained by carrying out a graphitization step such that a distance between a graphite container and the heater falls within a particular range of length, an atmosphere of a gas inside the heating furnace is set to contain a helium gas, and heating is carried out so that a maximum temperature inside the heating furnace is not less than 2900° C.