Ultrafast High-Temperature Synthesis of Battery-Grade Graphite Through Energy-Effective Joule Heating: A Combined Experimental and Simulation Study

This work introduces ultrafast high-temperature graphitization (UHG) as an effective method to synthesize graphite with significantly reduced processing times of about 100 s and reduced consumed energy, as opposed to conventional methods that require several days at 2800 K. This novel process achieves graphitization of up to 90% within a few minutes due to the accelerated kinetics occurring at temperatures as high as 3400 K. Samples processed using UHG attained stable cyclic capacities of 350 mAh/g, which is fully comparable to commercially available graphite. Finite Element Simulations were also used to calculate the energy consumption for a scaled-up configuration, and it was found that the UHG approach reaches ultra-low energy consumption, requiring only 2.4 MJ/kg for the direct conversion of coke into graphite. By minimizing the duration of high-temperature processing and employing localized heating, UHG is envisioned to mitigate some of the challenges associated with traditional Acheson furnaces that have been in use for more than a century.