Role in Lithium-Ion Batteries
Graphite is the anode material in virtually all commercial lithium-ion batteries — unchanged since Sony commercialized the first li-ion cell in 1991. Graphite's layered crystal structure allows lithium ions to intercalate between layers during charging, forming LiC₆ at full charge, and de-intercalate during discharge with excellent reversibility. Battery graphite requires extremely high purity — typically >99.95% carbon — and precise particle morphology.
Most critical supply gap: China controls approximately 100% of global battery-grade graphite processing — both natural and synthetic. Every lithium-ion cell manufactured outside China today uses Chinese-processed graphite anodes. This is America's most severe battery mineral dependency.
Domestic Supply
Graphite One's Graphite Creek project in western Alaska represents the largest known graphite deposit in North America — an estimated 10+ million tonnes of contained graphite. Graphite One is developing an integrated mine-to-anode supply chain including a processing and anode facility in Washington State — the most direct path to ending Chinese graphite dominance in American cells.