By Simon Moores
This article will be published in IM October 2011 as part of the Critical Materials for Green Energy special.
The debate over suitable graphite grades for lithium-ion batteries on the back of electric vehicle (EV) potential is increasing. Much like the situation for rare earths and lithium, the graphite industry’s ability to supply an EV boom is under the spotlight. Ready supply, sustainability and production costs will be the critical factors for the success of the graphite based anode, according to Dr Marcello Coluccia of leading European graphite producer Timcal. “At present EV battery manufacturers are focusing on natural graphite over synthetically made material mainly due to cost reasons,” said Coluccia in an interview with IM....