Refractory upgrades to stretch graphite supply

• Autores: Andrew Miller
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 564, 2014 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Septiembre)
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Today, battery-grade (spherical) graphite is produced using flake graphite of a similar mesh size and purity to that traditionally used by refractory producers to ensure the strength and resistivity of their products.

    If consumption from the refractories sector is matched by growth in battery demand, there is a strong possibility that the flake graphite market could move into deficit as early as 2015.

    For a generation, the refractories market has been the primary end-market for flake graphite, but as a new layer of demand emerges, tightening supply conditions across particular grades threaten to spark a divergence in market prices. This could force refractories producers to re-evaluate raw material supply chains.