Li-Ion Graphite - The Anode Material in Li-Ion Batteries
In the rush to build electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage systems, one mineral often overlooked is graphite. But this is a hugely important commodity in batteries, especially Li-ion batteries. By weight, it accounts for 50% of all materials in a battery. This is because it makes up the anode, which is responsible for storing and releasing electrons in charge/discharge cycles.
Graphite is an incredibly useful material to use for the anode because it is very cheap, safe to handle and has good electrical conductivity. It also has a low reactivity and a high power density and capacity. It also doesn’t rust or corrode, which means it can be recycled endlessly.
There are no substitutes for graphite as an anode in lithium ion batteries and this is why demand for the mineral is skyrocketing as hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug in electric vehicles (PEV) and all-electric vehicles (EV) continue to grow. This growth is expected to continue, with the market predicted to expand by approx 19% per year through 2029.
However, this demand could be dampened by the lack of availability of graphite outside China. This is why major EV/battery makers, including Tesla and South Korea’s SK Innovation, are seeking to diversify their supply chains by switching from natural or synthetic graphite produced in China to raw graphite from other countries such as Madagascar.
