Graphite, which is the commonest material in lithium-ion battery anodes, occurs naturally in certain rocks. Its popularity stems from its relatively low raw material cost, high energy density, and excellent conductivity. Interestingly enough, we also find the anode material as decayed plant and animal matter in organic-rich shale’s and coal beds. A company in New Zealand is commercializing bio-graphite anode material from forestry by-products.
Why the Interest in a Bio-Graphite Anode Now?
Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining advises that graphite comprises approximately half a lithium-ion battery. Reserves of this material were previously able to accommodate demand going forward. However, Project Blue via Reuters now forecasts a deficit of 777,000 tons per year by 2030.
To confirm this shortfall Benchmark Intelligence suggests that, “US$12 billion of investment is needed in graphite by 2030, with 97 new mines by 2035 to meet demand”. Clearly, this does not sound like a long-term, sustainable approach. Fortunately New Zealand company CarbonScape seems to have a better way.
The New Zealand company’s website appears quietly confident its solution will work. They say they specifically engineered their ‘sustainable, high-quality’ bio-graphite anode for lithium-ion batteries. And moreover, they created it from renewable by-products from their local timber industry.
Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining’s Thoughts
The Institute chatted with CarbonScape CEO Ivan Williams. He assured them that his company’s product charged and discharged similarly to conventional graphite. However, and this is significant, Williams believes his product would reduce the carbon footprint of each lithium-ion battery by a third.
The ‘thermo-catalytic’ manufacturing process, briefly, would be as follows:
- First, pyrolytically decompose wood chips into charcoal through high heat.
- Next, add an unspecified catalyst and then ‘catalytically graphitize it’.
- Finally, purify, densify and coat the result to battery anode quality.
- As a separate exercise, ‘recover and recycle the catalyst afterwards’.
The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining post that we link to below, leads us to believe that this product might indeed be, ‘perhaps as good as the real thing’.
More Information
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