An electrode for an electrical application. In its green state it comprises granular carbon material bound with pitch. The granular carbon material may be either needle coke, fine-grained or isotropic coke or reclaimed graphite powder. Electrodes for use in steel production can only be manufactured from needle coke, and the green electrodes are fired at temperatures above around $2800\text{K}$ to produce highly graphite electrodes. The other granular carbon materials may be used for aluminium electrodes where the duty is not so severe, and the green electrodes are generally fired to lower temperatures.