Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Sustainable Raw Materials

Developing tailor-made carbons for high-energy anodes in both lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and next-generation battery systems is the aim of the new research project -CarbForBatt- initiated by MEET Battery Research Center of the University of Münster. Since synthetic graphites will continue to play a key role as anode materials in batteries alongside natural graphites, ecological and socio-economic challenges in their supply chain must be overcome. Within the research and development project -CarbForBatt-, sustainable synthesis routes for graphites from industrial waste are therefore being developed. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project (funding code 03XP0443), which runs from February 2022 to January 2024, with 1.48 million euros. Establish Competitive and Sustainable Supply Chain -Natural and synthetic graphites have to be imported primarily from non-EU countries. This is accompanied by environmental pollution during mining of natural graphite and very high energy consumption during production of synthetic graphites,- says Dr Tobias Placke, project manager and head of the research division -Materials- at MEET Battery Research Center. -With the project -CarbForBatt-, we are pursuing the goal of developing and establishing a sustainable, intra-European supply chain for synthetic graphites.