Graphite - The only way is up

• Autores: Davide Ghilotti
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 589, 2016 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Diciembre/Enero)
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • "The issue for graphite mines is overcapacity - pure and simple," one North American graphite market participant told IM. "Demand today requires about 60% of current global capacity." Specifications for battery-grade graphite, or spherical graphite, are much narrower and more demanding than those for refractory or lubricant grades. Adapting flake graphite for battery use involves a series of processing stages - chemical purification, micronisation, spheroidisation and coating - to achieve the spherical shape, size and high conductivity needed for anode materials.

    At the same time, current availability of synthetic graphite is low compared with natural graphite. Industry observers say the synthetic market will most likely expand in the coming years, but given the plentiful supply of cheap natural graphite, the mineral will be difficult to unseat in most of its established markets.