Since becoming central to next generation energy storage technologies, the graphite supply chain has been a growing point of concern for many. Even as demand has outpaced that of lithium, graphite production remains a highly concentrated, carbon intensive process.
Rice University researchers recently published an article in the journal Nature Reviews, which trace the minerals transformation from industrial commodity to critical mineral. The team also outline emerging solutions which could make graphite production cleaner and more resilient to supply chain challenges.
In addition to describing a cleaner method for graphite extraction, the team also highlight the potential for manufacturing synthetic graphite from renewable sources such as biomass or captured carbon dioxide.