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High-end coal-based carbon materials can overcome the energy consumption bottleneck in graphitization. Author/Source: Coal Tar Deep Processing and Hydrogenation Technology Collaboration Group. Date: December 8, 2021. Click-through rate: 4. Power rationing measures have now been implemented across various energy-intensive industries. For the lithium battery industry, the graphitization of anode materials, being the most energy-intensive process, has been affected to some extent. Experts from the Guangdong Coal-based Carbon Materials Research Institute noted that the newly developed graphitization process, taking advantage of the unique structure of coal-based carbon materials, will significantly reduce energy consumption in this process, thereby overcoming the energy consumption bottleneck associated with anode materials. Under the policy of dual control on energy consumption, many regions have successively implemented power and production restrictions, which has also affected the lithium battery industry chain. The graphitization process, due to its high energy consumption, is particularly affected; as a result, its production capacity is limited, leading to an increasing supply-demand gap that gradually becomes a bottleneck hindering the expansion of negative electrode material production capacity. Experts from the Guangdong Coal-based Carbon Materials Research Institute noted that the newly developed graphitization process, taking advantage of the unique structure of coal-based carbon materials, will significantly reduce energy consumption in this process, thereby overcoming the energy consumption bottleneck associated with anode materials. 01 Graphitization accounts for a growing proportion of the cost of anode materials. It is understood that graphitization is a key process in the production of synthetic graphite anode materials; it accounts for approximately 50% of the total cost of these materials. The main cost involved is electricity – typically, producing 1 ton of graphitized material requires 12,000–14,000 kWh of electricity. Thus, this is a highly energy-intensive process. According to relevant agencies, in the first half of 2021, artificial graphite products accounted for 85% of negative electrode materials. At the same time, rising electricity costs led to increased expenses associated with the graphitization process, resulting in a shortage of graphitization capacity and higher processing costs. Graphitization has thus become a bottleneck restricting the development of the negative electrode material industry chain. Research shows that, based on the current cost structure of anode materials, the cost associated with graphitization has risen from just over 40% in the previous year to around 55% at present, an increase of about 10 percentage points. Currently, for every 10,000 yuan/ton increase in the graphitization cost of anode materials, the overall cost of anode materials rises by at least 5,000 yuan/ton. http://img.yf116.cn/image/img/20211208/955113571163.jpg 02 Graphitization is a key bottleneck in the expansion of negative electrode production. **Stricter policies regarding energy consumption control are being implemented, with increased oversight over projects that consume large amounts of energy and generate high levels of emissions. Given that graphitization capacity is highly energy-intensive, the utilization rate of existing graphitization capacity in some regions is constrained, and it has become more difficult to bring new capacity online. This has heightened the scarcity of graphitization assets, making it a critical bottleneck in the expansion of anode production. Therefore, industry experts point out that under the backdrop of dual controls on energy consumption, the effective production capacity for anodes lies in graphitization capabilities. Anode manufacturers with highly integrated production facilities will have stronger delivery capabilities and lower cost advantages in future competition, and the competitive landscape in the anode material industry is expected to improve. 03 Traditional processes are energy-intensive. The basic production steps for synthetic graphite mainly include crushing, granulation, graphitization, and screening. Among these, graphitization poses the highest barriers to entry and best reflects a company’s competitive advantages. Artificial graphite products use needle coke, petroleum coke, and other materials as primary raw materials. The production process of synthetic graphite involves four steps: crushing and granulating the raw materials and binder, followed by graphitization and screening. According to relevant experts, in terms of the graphitization process, graphitization involves using thermal activation to bring about an orderly transformation of thermodynamically unstable carbon atoms from a disordered structure into a graphite crystal structure. This process requires a large amount of energy. Using traditional manufacturing methods, it is a process with high energy consumption. http://img.yf116.cn/image/img/20211208/955543575450.jpg 04 New materials and processes help overcome energy consumption challenges. Experts from the Guangdong Coal-based Carbon Materials Research Institute explain that by using coal-based carbon materials and special processing techniques to produce artificial graphite, it is possible to significantly reduce energy consumption in this process while increasing the yield of the product. Moreover, the products obtained can be used to create anode materials that greatly enhance the performance of lithium batteries. The expert explained that coal-based carbon materials, such as coal-derived needle coke, differ from raw materials like oil-derived needle coke and petroleum coke. Their unique molecular structure enables graphitization to occur under milder conditions, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption while increasing the yield. At the same time, the expert also pointed out that, again due to the special structure of coal-based carbon materials, the performance of batteries produced from such materials has improved significantly.