NOVELTY - Graphite films (I) having a metallic coating on at least one surface, where the coatings are at most 100 nm thick, are new.    USE - The use of (I), (II) or (III) is claimed for transfer, abstraction or distribution of heat, especially in electronic apparatus; and for the production of heat exchangers, cooling bodies, heat spreaders or bipolar cooling plates for fuel cell stacks. The claims also cover cooling bodies with graphite film fins and an indentated base plate of metal (or of graphite with the indentation walls coated with metal), with the fins soldered into the indentations, where the fins have metal coatings as defined for (I) (at least in the surface regions protruding into the indentations).    ADVANTAGE - The films (I) are readily welded or soldered to other films (I) or to other metal-coated articles, despite the low thickness of the metal layer. The metal coating also protects the edges of the graphite film, by preventing particles from bursting out or flaking or peeling off. Welded or soldered composites formed from (I) may show a combination of lateral conduction of electric current and heat in the graphite film and isotropic conduction of electric current and heat in the metal layer, which may be useful in fuel cells and similar applications.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) a laminate (II) of two films (I) having the metal coating on one side only, where the films are oriented with the metal coating facing outwards, so that both external faces of the laminate have a metal coating;    (2) sheet or strip-form semi-finished graphite film products (III), in which at least one face and at least one edge has a metallic coating at least 100 nm thick;    (3) a method for bonding semi-finished products or components of (I) (including (II) or (III)) with each other, or with semi-finished products or components of other metal-coated materials or of metals, involving soldering or welding the components together; and    (4) the production of a metal coating on one side of a graphite film, by: (a) laminating one side of a sheet of graphite film with a plastics film; (b) continuously vapor-coating with the desired metal to the required layer thickness; and (c) mechanically removing the laminated film.