General Discussions, page-9078

Graphite will be in deficit from 2022 – here’s what EV battery makers need to do to secure the critical mineral

Michelle Lewis - Dec. 20th 2021 3:44 pm @michelle0728

"Don Baxter: Processed graphite comprises 95% of the anode (negative electrode) of lithium-ion batteries that power EVs, whereas the cathode (positive electrode) is made up of various materials such as nickel and cobalt.

Graphite is and will be the material of choice for the next decade or two because other materials have downfalls that prevent their use in batteries. For example, silicone is great for moving energy, but it expands and contracts during charging and discharging, which makes it unsuitable for batteries.

Graphite can be either natural or synthetic, with natural being the better choice. Not only is natural graphite cheaper, but it is also more environmentally friendly, given that synthetic graphite is made from petroleum coke and is a refined oil product.

Electrek: Why is securing graphite so important, and what do battery and auto manufacturers need to do in order to successfully source graphite?

Securing graphite is important because we are in the midst of an energy revolution but are entirely reliant on China for the materials.

China is at least a decade ahead of the West in terms of their capability of producing batteries, and it is presumed that they will likely want to keep many of the materials for themselves.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and manufacturers need to come up with a supply chain to secure input materials. It’s one thing to build a battery factory but another to go further upstream and source the supply-critical materials like graphite."