Canadian miner Northern Graphite Corporation and US chemical products maker Rain Carbon Inc. are joining forces on advanced battery anode material (BAM).

Under a joint development agreement, they will develop and commercialise natural graphite BAM products designed to extend cycle life, boost charging speed and reduce electrode swelling in lithium-ion battery cells for EVs. 

The plan is to increase the use of natural graphite in EV battery cells by addressing the stability gap between natural and synthetic graphite. The pair will tailor carbon coating to spherical natural graphite, Kallanish understands.

Northern Graphite’s ceo, Hugues Jacquemin, says this partnership “enables increased use of natural graphite in battery anode materials by lowering costs and addressing the environmental concerns linked to synthetic graphite.”

Producing synthetic graphite is more carbon intensive than its natural counterpart, usually because of its high-energy intensity and coal-reliant energy source. A study by the Northwestern University suggests producing natural graphite in the US could emit up to 89% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than currently available synthetic graphite. 

“By leveraging Northern’s expertise in mining, milling, shaping and purifying natural graphite alongside RAIN’s advanced coating capabilities, we are positioned to produce the lower-cost, higher-quality BAM which battery manufacturers and consumers are demanding,” Jacquemin adds.

Northern Graphite operates the Lac des Iles mine in Quebec, the only flake graphite-producing project in North America. China currently dominates the global supply chain for both natural and synthetic graphite.