Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 3379742

Are There Opportunities To Re-Think How We Manufacture Synthetic Graphite?

Kim, Ki-Joong [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000193748103)·Gao, Yuan [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)]·Wang, Congjun [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000238312929)·Matranga, Christopher [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000170825938)
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

This manuscript contributes a Viewpoint article to ACS Sustainable Resource Management and discusses the graphite supply chain, growing mismatch between graphite demand and global manufacturing capacity, current graphite manufacturing technologies, and different feedstocks.

Explore related subjects

alternative carbon feedstockselectrodesgraphitegraphite supply chainlithium ion battery anodeslow-temperature processingsynthetic graphite manufacturing

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Kim, Ki-Joong [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000193748103), Gao, Yuan [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)], Wang, Congjun [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000238312929), Matranga, Christopher [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000170825938). 2026-04-16. Are There Opportunities To Re-Think How We Manufacture Synthetic Graphite?. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssusresmgt.5c00522

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

Discover connections

Lithium-ion batteries materialElectrodes subjectGraphite subjectalternative carbon feedstocks subjectgraphite supply chain subjectlithium ion battery anodes subjectlow-temperature processing subject

Connections use source metadata and explicit phrase matches, not verified experimental comparisons.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related discoveries

DOE OSTI2026

Feedstock Choices for Advancing the Bioeconomy in the US and Policy Implications

Biomass feedstocks will be critical for scaling up the bioeconomy in the United States to meet multiple demands for biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel, bioproducts, and biochemicals. There is a wide range of choices of feedstocks, including a variety of dedicated energy crops and crop residues. There are substantial differences in the yields, costs of production, and carbon intensity of these feedstocks and for each feedstock across locations. These feedstocks also differ in the trade-offs they offer among multiple environmental impacts. We discuss the economic factors that will influence the production of these feedstocks and the implications of alternative biofuel and low-carbon policies for the mix of feedstocks that will be incentivized.

Khanna, Madhu (ORCID:0000000349944451)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Propane Activation on Pt Electrodes at Room Temperature: Quantification of Adsorbate Identity and Coverage

Abstract C−H bond activation is the first step in manufacturing chemical products from readily available light alkane feedstock and typically proceeds via carbon‐intensive thermal processes. The ongoing emphasis on decarbonization via electrification motivates low‐temperature electrochemical alternatives that could lead to sustainable chemicals production. Platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts have shown activity towards reacting alkanes; however, little is known about propane electrocatalytic activation and conditions suitable for enabling selective oxidation to valuable products. Herein, we utilize a combination of electrochemical mass spectrometry (ECMS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate the potential dependence of propane activation on Pt electrocatalysts. Results show a strong dependence of adsorption on the applied potential in room‐temperature aqueous acidic electrolyte, with a maximum coverage of propane‐derived adsorbates at 0.30 V vs RHE. Using charge deconvolution and deuterated experiments, the mechanism of adsorption was elucidated, and C 3 H 2 * was determined as the average dehydrogenated propane‐derived adsorbate species. DFT calculations further corroborate these results, showing that the formation of deeply dehydrogenated species is energetically accessible at room temperature. The combined theoretical and experimental findings yield insights for selective activation of paraffinic C−H bonds at room temperature, aqueous conditions—a critical step towards decarbonized chemical manufacturing.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Graphitization of banana peel – synergistic effect of Ca and other elements of the biomass on carbon structure transformation

Recently, growing interest has been observed in using calcium as an effective catalyst for graphitizing disordered carbon materials derived from biomass and bioprecursors, such as cellulose and lignin, at relatively low tem peratures (<2000 °C). Herein, it is demonstrated that in the presence of elements such as calcium, silicon, sulfur, and potassium, which are abundant in banana peel composed of cellulose and lignin base, graphitization occurs much more effectively. The addition of external calcium source, in the form of calcium carbonate, to the banana peel-derived carbon and heat-treatment of the mixture under protective atmosphere up to 1750 °C results in a significant increase in the degree of the graphitization order and local formation of graphite crystals, whereas the same preparation and heat-treatment procedure applied to carbon material derived from pristine cellulose does not lead to such effective graphitization. It is indicated that the graphitization of banana peel carbon occurs due to the synergistic effect of the external Ca-based catalyst and the internal elements present in the raw biomass, supporting the transformation of the disordered graphene-like layers into graphitic structures. These findings are important for the future production of green graphite from biomass

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗