Graphite Refining

spherical graphite · graphitization · anode

Graphite is the largest material by weight in a lithium-ion cell. China makes more than nine of every ten tons of battery anode material.

Two flows. Natural route: flake mine (China, Africa), spheroidize, purify by acid or thermal methods, coat. Synthetic route, used for most EV anodes: needle coke from oil or coal tar, graphitize in a furnace at about 3,000 C, mill, coat. Bars show China's share: about 79% of natural graphite mining, about 94% of battery graphite refining and more than 90% of anode active material. NATURAL GRAPHITE ROUTE Flake mine China, Africa Spheroidize mill to spheres Purify acid or thermal Coat carbon coating SYNTHETIC GRAPHITE ROUTE (MOST EV ANODES) Needle coke oil or coal tar Graphitize ~3,000 C furnace Mill size and shape Coat carbon coating CHINA SHARE Natural graphite mining ~79% Battery graphite refining ~94% Anode active material 90%+
China, anode material
90%+
Graphitization
~3,000 C
China export licensing
Since Dec 2023
US AD/CVD
Rejected by ITC
Hub
Supply Chain

Finding

Graphite is the most China-concentrated material in the battery, because the value is in spheroidizing, purifying, graphitizing and coating, not in mining

Mine output is not usable in a cell. Natural flake must be milled into spheres (losing much of the feed), purified to more than 99.95% carbon with hydrofluoric acid or high-temperature furnaces, and coated; synthetic graphite is made by heating needle coke to about 3,000 C for days, which makes cheap electricity the deciding cost. China's BTR, Shanshan, Putailai, Shinzoom, Kaijin and Zhongke built that capacity at a scale nobody else has matched, mostly in Inner Mongolia, Sichuan and Yunnan where power is cheap.

China has required export licenses for spherical and high-purity graphite since December 2023, and in October 2025 announced wider controls on synthetic anode material and anode technology before suspending them for a year in November 2025. In the US, Commerce set final antidumping and countervailing duties of about 160% on Chinese active anode material in February 2026, but the International Trade Commission voted in March 2026 that US producers were not injured, so the duties did not take effect.

Non-Chinese supply is a short list: POSCO Future M in Korea; Resonac and Mitsubishi Chemical in Japan; Syrah's Vidalia plant in Louisiana; Novonix and Anovion synthetic graphite in the US; Vianode in Norway; Nouveau Monde in Quebec; Talga in Sweden. Chinese makers are building outside China too - BTR in Indonesia and Morocco, Shinzoom in Morocco - partly to reach IRA- and EU-compliant customers.

Plants

Graphite processing and anode material plants

Feedstock route and output for representative sites; China is shown by its largest producers.

Graphite processing and anode facilities
CompanyFacilityLocationFeedstock / outputStatus
BTR New MaterialAnode bases (multi-site)Shenzhen, Guangdong and other provinces, ChinaNatural and synthetic; coated AAMOperating; world's largest anode maker
BTR New MaterialKendal anode plantCentral Java, IndonesiaNatural and synthetic; coated AAMOperating
Ningbo ShanshanBaotou integrated anode base and other sitesInner Mongolia, Shanghai, Ningbo, ChinaMainly synthetic; coated AAMOperating
Shanghai Putailai (Zichen)Liyang, Jiangxi, Inner Mongolia and Qionglai (Sichuan) basesChinaMainly synthetic; coated AAMOperating
PutailaiSundsvall integrated anode projectSundsvall, SwedenSynthetic; coated AAMCancelled
Shinzoom (Hunan Zhongke)Ningxiang, Gui'an and Qujing basesHunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, ChinaMainly synthetic; coated AAMOperating
ShinzoomTanger Tech anode plantTangier, MoroccoSynthetic; coated AAMUnder construction
Kaijin New EnergyYancheng and Binhai Port anode basesJiangsu, ChinaMainly synthetic; coated AAMOperating / expanding
Jiangsu Zhengtuo (Hebei Kuntian)Anode basesChina (multiple)Mainly synthetic; coated AAMOperating
POSCO Future MSejong natural anode and Pohang spherical graphite plantsSouth KoreaNatural and synthetic; coated AAMOperating
ResonacAnode material plantsJapanSynthetic; coated AAMOperating
Mitsubishi ChemicalAnode material linesJapanNatural and synthetic; coated AAMOperating
Syrah ResourcesVidalia AAM facilityLouisiana, United StatesNatural (Balama, Mozambique); coated AAMOperating; customer qualification
NovonixRiverside synthetic graphite plantChattanooga, Tennessee, United StatesSynthetic; coated AAMCommissioning
AnovionSanborn plantNew York, United StatesSynthetic graphiteOperating
VianodeHerøya plant; Ontario plant plannedNorway; CanadaSynthetic; coated AAMOperating (Norway); planned (Canada)
Nouveau Monde GraphiteBécancour battery material plantQuebec, CanadaNatural (Matawinie); coated AAMDemonstration; commercial plant planned
Talga GroupLuleå anode refinerySwedenNatural (Vittangi); coated AAMDevelopment
EcoGrafBattery anode material facilityWestern AustraliaNatural; spherical purified graphiteDevelopment
ImerysGraphite and carbon plantsSwitzerland, Canada, BelgiumNatural and synthetic graphite, conductive carbonOperating
SGL CarbonSynthetic graphite and carbon plantsEurope (multiple)Synthetic graphiteOperating

Terms

Products and purification routes

Graphite anode terms
TermMeaningNote
SPGSpherical purified natural graphiteUncoated; feed to coating plants
AAMCoated anode active material, natural or syntheticWhat cell makers buy and qualify
Chemical purificationHF or acid leaching of spherical graphiteVery high purity; acid handling and waste
Thermal purificationFurnace treatment above 2,500 CNo acid; power-intensive
GraphitizationHeating needle coke or pitch to about 3,000 CDefines synthetic graphite cost

Sources

Sources and scope

Scope
Graphite Refining
Sources
IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025; US Commerce (Feb 2026) and ITC (Mar 2026) AAM determinations; MOFCOM announcements; company reports
Updated
October 2026