High-Purity Natural Graphite
A premium high-purity natural graphite grade designed for advanced industrial and specialty graphite applications.
Premium HPNG
A higher-purity product platform intended to address demanding applications where purity and graphite characteristics are important.
Downstream Pathway
A potential downstream target for further processing toward battery-grade graphite, subject to customer and battery-manufacturer specifications.
Transforming Commercial Graphite into Premium HPNG
GraphiTech Global is developing a proprietary technology platform for deep processing commercially available natural graphite concentrates into premium High-Purity Natural Graphite (HPNG).
With more than 45 years of experience in the graphite industry, the objective is to combine practical graphite knowledge with materials-processing technology to produce high-purity natural graphite while preserving the intrinsic characteristics of natural graphite.
- Designed for graphite flakes as well as graphite powders.
- Feed materials generally above 90% Fixed Carbon.
- Proposed commercial feedstock of approximately 94–95% FC.
- Target grades of minimum 99.0% and 99.5% Fixed Carbon.
High Purity Natural Crystalline Graphite for a Growing Advanced-Materials Market
Graphite has become an important critical mineral because of its role in electric vehicles, energy storage, advanced electronics, thermal management and other high-performance applications.
Why High-Purity Natural Graphite?
High-Purity Natural Graphite is particularly important where purity, electrical conductivity, thermal performance, chemical stability and the intrinsic properties of natural graphite are required.
From HPNG to Advanced Battery Materials
The proposed 99.0–99.5% FC High-Purity Natural Graphite products can serve as upstream feedstock for further downstream processing toward approximately 99.95% battery-grade graphite, subject to the specifications of individual battery manufacturers.
Potential downstream processes may include micronisation, particle shaping, spheroidisation, further refinement, surface coating and thermal processing.
Upgrading Commercial Graphite Concentrates
The proprietary purification technology is being developed to upgrade commercially available natural graphite concentrates into minimum 99.0% FC and minimum 99.5% FC High-Purity Natural Graphite.
Premium High Purity Natural Crystalline Graphite
Produce premium high-purity natural crystalline graphite suitable for demanding industrial applications.
Preserve Graphite Properties
Retain the inherent crystalline structure, morphology and useful properties of natural crystalline graphite.
Commercial Scalability
Provide a scalable process using commercially available feedstock from global sources.
Cost Efficiency
Develop an efficient chemical-processing route with a focus on competitive operating economics.
Graphite Feedstock Options
The technology is designed to work with different graphite particle sizes and is applicable to both flake and powder feedstocks.
Purity Without Losing the Character of Natural Graphite
The value of natural graphite is not determined by carbon percentage alone. Its crystalline structure, layered morphology, flake characteristics and functional properties are equally important.
Natural Crystalline Structure
Natural Flake Morphology
High Electrical Conductivity
High Thermal Conductivity
Excellent Lubricity
High Chemical Stability
High-Temperature Resistance
Downstream Processing Compatibility
The objective is to remove mineral impurities while retaining the intrinsic characteristics of natural graphite, without fundamentally altering the graphite crystal lattice.
Building an Alternative Source of High-Purity Natural Graphite
China has historically dominated the production and downstream processing of graphite, including purified graphite, spherical graphite and battery anode materials.
As manufacturers and governments seek more diversified and resilient critical-mineral supply chains, there is an opportunity for new producers capable of supplying high-quality natural graphite from alternative sources.
The GraphiTech Global Approach
High-purity natural graphite does not have to depend exclusively on rare deposits that naturally contain exceptionally high carbon content.
Commercially available graphite concentrates can provide an alternative feedstock when an effective purification technology is applied.
A Flexible Approach to Raw-Material Security
Feedstock can be sourced from commercially available graphite concentrates in the international market or, in the future, from captive graphite resources.
Fixed Carbon Grade
Flake Size
Impurity Profile
Availability
Delivered Cost
Processing Suitability
Customer Requirements
Captive Mining — Future Strategic Option
Captive mining is envisaged as a future strategic option to strengthen the security and economics of the High-Purity Natural Graphite operation.
A captive graphite resource can provide greater control over raw-material supply, input costs, feedstock consistency and long-term supply security, while allowing ore and concentrate specifications to be selected according to purification requirements.
Importantly, captive mining does not mean becoming dependent on captive production alone. The business model retains flexibility to source from either captive resources or the open market.
An Alternative to Rare Naturally High-Purity Deposits
Naturally occurring high-purity natural crystalline graphite is found in a relatively limited number of deposits. The opportunity lies in upgrading commercially available flake natural crystalline graphite through beneficiation and purification.
Sri Lankan Vein Graphite
Sri Lankan graphite is predominantly vein-type graphite formed through hydrothermal processes. It occurs mainly as crystalline veins or lumps and is widely recognised as a benchmark premium natural graphite because of its high natural carbon content, crystallinity and physical properties.
Disseminated Flake Deposits
In disseminated deposits, graphite occurs as individual flakes within host rock and is associated with minerals such as quartz, feldspar, mica and other gangue. Although run-of-mine material may have substantially lower FC, the graphite flakes themselves can possess valuable characteristics and can be upgraded through beneficiation and purification.
Instead of relying exclusively on rare naturally high-purity natural crystalline graphite deposits, commercially available flake natural crystalline graphite can potentially be upgraded into High-Purity Natural Crystalline Graphite.
High-Purity Natural Crystalline Graphite Across Different Flake Sizes
Laboratory work has been carried out using graphite from Établissements Gallois, Madagascar. The achieved results demonstrate high carbon content across three different graphite size fractions.
| Parameter | +50 Mesh | -50 +80 Mesh | -80 Mesh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon (%) | 99.81 | 99.83 | 99.79 |
| H₂O (%) | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.11 |
| Volatile (%) | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.20 |
| Sulphur (%) | 0.00191 | 0.00249 | 0.00249 |
| True Density | 2.26 | 2.25 | 2.26 |
| Electrical Resistivity (Ω•cm) | 0.0611 | 0.0644 | 0.1006 |
The results demonstrate carbon levels of approximately 99.8% across all three size fractions tested. The significance of the work is not only the carbon percentage, but also the demonstration that the purification approach can be applied across coarse flakes, medium flakes and fine graphite powder.
High Purity Requires More Than a Carbon Assay
For demanding applications, the impurity profile of graphite is important. Laboratory analysis of treated Madagascar graphite showed the following results among the measured elements.
| Element | +50 Mesh (ppm) | -50 +80 Mesh (ppm) | -80 Mesh (ppm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al | 45.93 | 56.28 | 49.52 |
| Ca | 8.28 | 36.75 | 41.06 |
| Cr | 0.31 | 0.39 | 0.38 |
| Cu | 0.75 | 1.27 | 3.44 |
| Fe | 4.46 | 4.25 | 4.00 |
| K | 4.47 | 5.20 | 6.91 |
| Mg | 32.57 | 36.90 | 36.52 |
| Mn | 0.90 | 1.50 | 1.72 |
| Na | 38.16 | 35.24 | 38.99 |
| Ni | 1.26 | 0.58 | 0.72 |
| Pb | 0.46 | 0.44 | 0.42 |
| Si | 712.61 | 573.16 | 1484.41 |
| Ti | 6.26 | 4.20 | 4.93 |
| V | 0.22 | 0.47 | 0.46 |
| Zn | 1.89 | 2.00 | 1.99 |
Several elements, including As, Be, Cd, Co and Se, were reported below the stated method detection limits. This type of characterisation is important because two graphite products having similar carbon percentages can have very different impurity profiles.
High-Purity Natural Graphite Product Platform
Different purity and particle-size combinations provide flexibility to address different industrial and advanced material requirements.
Minimum 99.0% FC
High-Purity Natural Graphite designed for applications requiring substantially upgraded carbon purity.
- Flake and powder feedstocks
- Multiple size fractions :
- +50 Mesh flakes
- -50 +80 Mesh
- -80 Mesh fines
Minimum 99.5% FC
Premium High-Purity Natural Graphite for more demanding industrial and advanced-material applications.
- Flake and powder feedstocks
- Multiple size fractions :
- +50 Mesh flakes
- -50 +80 Mesh
- -80 Mesh fines
Developing the Next Level of Purity
Proposed working specifications have been established for product-development comparison between 99.5% High-Purity Natural Graphite and approximately 99.95% battery-grade graphite.
| Impurity | 99.5% HPNG Working Target | 99.95% Battery-Grade Working Target |
|---|---|---|
| Total Ash / Non-Carbon | ≤ 0.50% | ≤ 0.05% |
| Fe | ≤ 800 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| Si | ≤ 2,000 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| Al | ≤ 800 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| Ca | ≤ 500 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| Mg | ≤ 300 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| Na | ≤ 300 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| K | ≤ 300 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| S | ≤ 500 ppm | ≤ 100 ppm |
| Ti | ≤ 300 ppm | ≤ 30 ppm |
| Mn | ≤ 100 ppm | ≤ 10 ppm |
| Cr | ≤ 50 ppm | ≤ 10 ppm |
| Ni | ≤ 50 ppm | ≤ 10 ppm |
| Cu | ≤ 50 ppm | ≤ 10 ppm |
| Co | ≤ 30 ppm | ≤ 10 ppm |
| Zn | ≤ 100 ppm | ≤ 20 ppm |
| Pb | ≤ 20 ppm | ≤ 5 ppm |
| As | ≤ 10 ppm | ≤ 1 ppm |
Evidence That Purification Can Preserve Natural Graphite Structure
Published research on Sri Lankan vein graphite provides useful independent support for the principle that chemical purification can achieve very high carbon purity while retaining the essential graphite structure.
A cited 2024 study reports purification of Sri Lankan vein graphite to above 99.9% carbon using flotation followed by chemical treatment, including AA processing. The study used XRD, FTIR, SEM and XPS to examine treated graphite and reported no significant change in crystalline structure and no apparent new functional groups, while SEM showed a flaky morphology without clear changes after treatment.
This research is supporting scientific literature and is not a test or validation of GraphiTech Global's own proprietary process.
Creating Premium Value Through Processing
The project is fundamentally a value-added materials business. Instead of relying solely on the scarcity of naturally occurring ultra-high-purity graphite, the business model creates value by transforming commercially available graphite concentrates into premium high-purity graphite through processing.
From Laboratory to Commercial Production
The next stage of development is a structured scale-up programme designed to progressively validate process performance and commercial scalability.
Laboratory Testing
Establish and refine purification parameters using representative graphite feed.
Bench-Scale Validation
Test different feed grades and establish appropriate operating parameters.
Process Optimisation
Confirm the ability to consistently achieve minimum 99.0% and 99.5% FC.
Commercial Plant Design
Use validated process parameters as the basis for commercial-scale implementation.
Commercial Production
Develop a scalable operation for consistent HPNG production.
Laboratory Testing → Bench-Scale Validation → Commercial Production
This staged approach is intended to reduce technical and scale-up risk.
Experience. Technology. Flexibility.
45+ Years of Graphite Experience
More than four decades of direct experience across graphite mining, beneficiation and marketing.
Proprietary Technology
A dedicated purification platform is being developed for upgrading commercial graphite concentrates.
Commercially Available Feedstock
The business does not depend exclusively on rare naturally High-Purity Natural Crystalline Graphite deposits.
Preservation of Natural Crystalline Graphite
The technology is designed to preserve the natural crystalline structure and morphology of natural crystalline graphite.
Flexible Feedstock Strategy
The process is designed for a range of suitable feed grades and graphite sizes.
Multiple Product Opportunities
The platform can serve industrial HPNG markets while providing a potential pathway toward downstream battery-grade graphite.
Captive Mining Option
Future captive mining can strengthen raw-material security while retaining open-market sourcing flexibility.
Value Addition
The primary value creation comes from processing and upgrading graphite into a premium material.
Zero Liquid Discharge
The purification process is designed around a Zero Liquid Discharge policy. All process water is collected, treated and recycled within the production facility, eliminating the discharge of process effluent into the environment while minimising fresh-water consumption.
Maximum recovery. Minimum fresh water. Zero liquid discharge.
From Commercial Graphite to Premium Carbon
GraphiTech Global is developing a scalable platform to transform commercially available natural graphite concentrates into High-Purity Natural Graphite with minimum 99.0% and minimum 99.5% Fixed Carbon, while retaining the intrinsic characteristics that make natural graphite a valuable advanced material.
With laboratory results approaching 99.8% carbon across +50, -50 +80 and -80 mesh fractions, a flexible international feedstock strategy and a pathway toward further downstream upgrading, the project is positioned to address multiple high-value graphite markets.
Natural Graphite. Higher Purity. Higher Value.
Building the Next Generation of High-Purity Natural Crystalline Graphite Materials
Explore High-Purity Natural Crystalline Graphite opportunities, product requirements, feedstock options and potential downstream applications with GraphiTech Global.