S. Park
North Carolina State University,
United States
Keywords: graphite, catalytic graphitization, techno-economic analysis
Summary:
The escalating global demand for graphite, a primary anode material for lithium-ion batteries, has exposed vulnerabilities in the current supply chain, which is heavily reliant on non-renewable and geographically concentrated resources. This research presents a comprehensive approach to producing biographite, a reliable, renewable, and sustainable alternative to fossil-based graphite. This next-generation graphitic carbon material is synthesized from biomass pyrolysis products, including biochar and fast pyrolysis bio-oil, under moderate conditions, which contrasts with conventional high-energy non-catalytic graphitization practice. This innovative process addresses both technical and economic barriers in the production of high-quality anode active materials (AAM). Catalytic graphitization of biomass-derived precursors enables the sustainable fabrication of AAM with electrochemical performance comparable to that of market-available graphite under moderate conditions. The resulting biographite products demonstrate excellent electrochemical properties, delivering a reversible capacity of ~350 mAh g⁻¹ along with remarkable initial Coulombic efficiency and cycling stability over 100 cycles. A conceptual process design of a reaction-separation-recovering sequence was also simulated to understand the technical performance at scale. Cost modeling and risk analysis were introduced to predict the prospective market performance of biographite. Integrating AAM production with liquid biofuels demonstrates the most favorable economic metrics, achieving a minimum selling price of $3.3 per kilogram of uncoated AAM with a preliminary profitability margin of 27%. By utilizing integrated biorefineries, biographite can be competitive with commercial graphite at scales higher than 1500 tonnes per day. This study showcases a promising pathway to secure a domestic supply of critical materials for sustainable energy storage.