End-of-life EV batteries are rapidly shifting from a challenge to a strategic resource. While attention has often focused on high-value metals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, one critical material is frequently overlooked: graphite.
Graphite accounts for roughly 30% of a lithium-ion battery’s weight. A typical 80-kilowatt-hour EV battery contains close to 80 kilograms of graphite, more than the weight of an average adult. Used in the anode to store and release lithium-ions, graphite is fundamental to battery performance and therefore to the wider electrification of transport.
Yet the graphite supply chain faces mounting strain. By 2035, global demand is expected to exceed supply by around 2.5 million tons. At the same time, production is highly concentrated. In 2023, China supplied about 79% of natural graphite and 97% of synthetic graphite. This creates clear geopolitical and supply risks for OEMs, cell manufacturers and recyclers who are working to build robust, regional battery value chains.
Today, most graphite from spent batteries is not recovered at all. It is often landfilled or incinerated, which wastes a large volume of material and adds to carbon emissions. By 2030, more than 260,000 tons of graphite per year could be available globally for recycling. That stream represents an estimated 2.6 billion dollar market that the auto recycling sector is well placed to help unlock.
Recycled graphite offers important environmental benefits. Natural graphite requires mining, grading and intensive processing. Synthetic graphite, produced from petroleum byproducts at very high temperatures, is both energy and carbon-intensive. In contrast, high-quality recycled graphite can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions per ton of anode material.
Orbia’s Fluor & Energy Materials business has developed a proprietary technology that directly targets this opportunity. Its process recovers, purifies and upgrades graphite from domestic battery recycling operations. The starting point is “black mass residue”, the fine powder left after end-of-life batteries are shredded and valuable metals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt are extracted. Orbia applies a multi-step purification approach that uses hydrofluoric acid to remove impurities and bring the recovered graphite in line with strict anode specifications.
The result is ultra-high-purity upcycled graphite that is designed to be indistinguishable in performance from virgin material. Crucially for recyclers and battery producers, the process has been engineered with cost in mind. Historically, graphite recovery has struggled to be economically viable because graphite trades at a lower price than other critical battery materials. Orbia’s breakthrough aims to make recycled graphite cost-competitive with mined and synthetic alternatives, while delivering a lower carbon footprint. Initial internal assessments indicate that the recycled material may generate up to four times less CO₂ than synthetic graphite and up to two times less than natural mined graphite.
Orbia is working with major OEMs and cell manufacturers on fully circular supply models. In these partnerships, graphite from their batteries is recovered, upcycled and returned to their own supply chains for use in new batteries and automotive applications.
Source www.orbia.com
