NOVELTY - A graphite sheet producing system comprises reactor vessel, acid-containing vessel, wash vessel-containing water, drying chamber, impregnation chamber, deforming device, and oven. The deforming device is mechanically deforming a surface of continuous flexible graphite sheet to provide a series of repeating patterns on surface of flexible graphite sheet or removal of material from the flexible graphite sheet in a series of repeating patterns.    USE - For continuous production of surface patterned, resin-impregnated flexible graphite sheet for use in forming components for electrochemical fuel cells, gaskets, and heat conducting and heat resistant articles.    ADVANTAGE - The inventive system provides a flexible graphite sheet exhibiting enhanced isotropy with respect to thermal and electrical conductivity and fluid diffusion.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Graphite sheet producing system comprises a reactor vessel for containing as reactants raw natural graphite particles in mixture with sulfuric and nitric acids; an acid containing vessel communicating with the reactor vessel for the introduction of a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acid into the reactor vessel; a graphite particle containing vessel for the introduction of graphite particles into the reactor vessel; a first additive containing vessel communicating with the reactor vessel for the introduction of intercalation enhancing materials, acids or organic chemicals; a wash vessel containing water communicating with the reactor vessel to receive reaction product in the form of acid intercalated graphite particles and remove acid from the surface of the acid intercalated graphite particles and a portion of the mineral impurities contained in the natural graphite particles introduced into the reactor vessel; a drying chamber for drying washed acid intercalated graphite particles; conduit extending from the wash vessel to the drying chamber for passing washed acid intercalated graphite particles from the wash vessel to the drying chamber; an expansion chamber enclosing an open flame at a temperature of greater than or equal to 700degreesC; conduit extending from the collecting vessel to the expansion chamber for passing dried acid intercalated graphite particles to the expansion chamber; gas inlet communicating with the conduit for entraining the acid intercalated graphite particles in a stream of non-reactive gas and passing the entrained acid intercalated graphite particles into the open flame enclosed in the expansion chamber to cause expansion of the acid intercalated graphite particles to form vermiform elongated graphite particles; collecting hopper for receiving the vermiform elongated graphite particles; compression chamber positioned to receive vermiform graphite particles for compressing the vermiform particles into a coherent self-supporting mat of flexible graphite; impregnation chamber for contacting the flexible graphite mat with resin and impregnating the flexible graphite with resin; calender mill disposed to receive the flexible graphite mat for increasing the density of the flexible graphite mat to form a continuous flexible graphite sheet; device for mechanically deforming a surface of the continuous flexible graphite sheet to provide a series of repeating patterns on the surface of the flexible graphite sheet or the removal of material from the flexible graphite sheet in a series of repeating patterns; and an oven for receiving the mat from the dryer to cure the resin.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a system for continuous production of mechanically deformed planar flexible graphite articles.    Reactor vessel (404)    Dispenser (410)    Wash tank (414)    Drying chamber (422)    Collecting vessel (424)    Expansion vessel (428)    Separator (430)    Mat (443)    Scrubber (449)    Oven (490)