Current situation and development trend of graphite processing technology at home and abroad China is a country with abundant natural graphite resources, ranking first in the world in terms of reserves, production, and exports. However, due to insufficient investment in technological development, the current focus is still on raw material production and processing of flake graphite. Carbon graphite material is a promising emerging material widely used in high-tech fields, and developed countries have invested manpower and financial resources in its development and research. The deep processing technology of natural graphite has made rapid progress and has now formed some new industries. At present, the flexible graphite industry in the United States, Japan, Germany, and France holds a prominent position. The technology for producing nuclear grade ultra-low sulfur (S<500ppm) and high-purity (S<50ppm) products in Japan. Among them, high-purity flexible graphite can only be produced in Japan. *The maximum output of flexible graphite is over 15000 to 20000 tons. In terms of anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, due to the capacitance of graphite, modified graphite is used as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries in the United States and Japan, and has formed an industry.
Silicon impregnated graphite is currently only produced in Germany, the United States, and Russia. This product is a new material with high hardness and mechanical strength, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and good lubricity in a wide temperature range. Compared with silicon carbide products, the biggest feature is high yield and lower price. Due to the greatly shortened replacement cycle of color TVs, the performance requirements for graphite emulsion used in color TV tubes are also changing rapidly. Currently, foreign countries still attach great importance to the research and development of graphite emulsion for color TV tubes.
China's new flexible graphite industry is currently under construction and development. During the "Eighth Five Year Plan" period, a number of achievements in flexible graphite processing technology and equipment were made, but it is still in the trial production stage. China's lithium-ion batteries are still in the small-scale trial stage, but structurally stable anode materials have been developed using natural graphite. Its internal capacity density reaches 350mAh/g. China has been able to produce 5 specifications of graphite emulsion for color TV tubes through introduction, digestion and absorption. Silicon impregnated graphite products are currently a blank in China.
The goals and directions of future graphite processing research and development
For more than 20 years, flexible graphite sealing materials have been developing rapidly at an annual growth rate of 10% to 15%. It is expected that by the year 2000, the market demand will exceed 30000 tons, with a domestic market of 4000 tons, including over 100 tons of flexible graphite for nuclear energy. During the "Ninth Five Year Plan" period, the annual demand for graphite emulsion for color TV tubes in China will reach 1500 tons, and currently only 500 tons can be produced domestically. The development of lithium-ion batteries is extremely rapid. About 500 tons of graphite anode material are needed for 100 million individual batteries, and it is estimated that about 1500 tons will be needed in 2000; Silicon impregnated graphite materials, graphite environmentally friendly materials, and graphite medical materials are new industries with greater market potential.
Graphite materials and their composite materials, as emerging materials in the 21st century, will undoubtedly have great development and be applied in many fields, leading to the emergence of some new high-tech industries. China has abundant graphite resources and has established a certain foundation and technological reserves in research and development; Through further technological development, industrialization will soon be achieved and significant economic benefits will be obtained. The development goals of the national plan include: developing ultra-low sulfur and high-purity flexible graphite processing technology and equipment for nuclear energy, developing natural graphite anode material preparation technology and equipment for lithium-ion batteries, developing various grades of graphite emulsion urgently needed for domestic color TV tubes, developing key equipment for silicon impregnated graphite material production technology (vacuum induction furnace) and auxiliary processing and equipment; Specifically, it includes the technology and equipment for producing nuclear grade flexible graphite and high-purity flexible graphite production lines with an annual output of 20 tons; Anode materials for lithium-ion batteries; Preparation technology of graphite anode materials and industrial preparation equipment for anode materials; Color TV tube graphite emulsion; Develop processing technology and equipment for silicon impregnated graphite materials.
If the development task of graphite deep processing technology can be successfully completed, a new high-tech new industry will be built using China's abundant graphite as raw material, which can achieve an annual output value of 250 million yuan and an economic benefit of 40% tax rate. These products will make significant contributions to the technological, social and economic development of China's nuclear power, chemical, energy, electronics, environmental protection, metallurgy, machinery, medical and other fields. At the same time, they also have enormous export potential, changing the structure of China's graphite export products and greatly improving its foreign exchange earning capacity.