ENERGY SYSTEMS.
The increasing capacity of batteries and rechargeable batteries accelerates and promotes their use in a great variety of technical applications. Furthermore, with the approaching shift of emphasis in the energy industry from fossil to renewable energy sources, hydrogen as a source of energy, and the fuel cell as a highly-efficient energy conversion system, will become ever more important.
Graphite, and especially natural graphite, is an important and efficient raw material in the production of innovative energy storage and conversion systems.
BATTERIES.
In various battery systems, such as e.g. AlMn, NiCd, or zinc-carbon cells, graphite is used as a chemically inert and highly oxidation-stable conductivity additive. In such cases the purity requirements for graphite may be as high as 99.99 % carbon, and such degrees of purity can only be produced by way of special purification processes.
LI-ION / LI-POLYMER CELLS.
In state-of-the-art Li-ion or Li-polymer batteries, graphite plays an active role as an anode material into which Li ions are intercalated. This intercalation process is only possible because of the layered crystal structure of graphite.
FUEL CELLS.
In PEM fuel cells, graphite will play an important role in the future as the preferred raw material for bipolar plates. Natural graphite combines the following unique properties: high electric conductivity; graphite is chemically inert and has an extremely low permeation coefficient, is mechanically stable, and available at a favourable price. With our extensive product range we can provide suitable materials for any bipolar plate production concept. We supply graphite grades for the production of graphite foils and graphite blocks, and also for injection moulding.