Graphite is classified as a “strategic and critical mineral” by the US and EU, is expected to reach >5 million tons and $21.6 billion by 2027. Graphite is consumed in numerous industries and applications including the metallurgy, refractories, lubricants, foundry facings, brake linings, graphite foils, valve packings and gaskets, and graphite electrodes for Li-ion batteries. Our lab is developing a method of producing battery-grade, high purity, crystalline flake graphite from inexpensive biomass or lignite. A mixture of carbon-containing feedstock and a catalyst are irradiated with a laser thereby converting the biomass into flake graphite, suitable for Li-ion batteries and the multitude of other industrial uses. By transforming the waste product of bio-fuel production, biochar, to graphite, this technology could could increase its value by ~ 1000 fold, making the bio-fuel industry competitive with petroleum. Our vision of a sustainable cycle for energy production and utilization is illustrated by the image above.
