Is Natural Graphite the Best Graphene Source Material?

Industrial Minerals’ Laura Syrett took a look at the benefits of making graphene using natural graphite as a “parent material.”

In her article, she notes that while many juniors have been quick to associate themselves with graphene development because they are hoping to cash in on natural graphite’s role in the process, other industry participants “remain unconvinced that the super carbon will ever become a consequential market for mined graphite.”

As quoted in the market news:

Although synthetic graphite can be used to produce graphene, and has the benefit of consistency in terms of purity, natural graphite is significantly – up to ten times – cheaper than synthetic material.

This is because synthetic graphite is made by combining costly calcined petroleum coke with carbon black, and either anthracite or natural graphite, in addition to various binders and pitches, and is highly energy-intensive.

For graphene producers, cost considerations are important when it comes to making a material that can be economically scaled up for commercial adoption. Even more crucial, however, is the question of quality, an area where natural graphite also has an advantage.

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