Beware of graphite become the next Rare Earth Industry

Natural graphite is a strategic mineral resources

1 graphite and products have become high-tech industry base material

Natural graphite and rare earths , as the " Industrial MSG " in the title , graphite new materials have become an important part of the emerging industry , a strong industrial relevance , expanded graphite , isotropic graphite , graphite fluoride , lithium-ion battery graphite anode material, metal - graphite composite materials have been widely used in energy-saving and environmental protection, new energy, new generation of information technology, new energy vehicles , high-end equipment manufacturing , new materials industry and other emerging industries. 2010 , the European Commission as one of the graphite " vital raw materials for the EU " 14 kinds . 2013 , graphene and the human brain works selected for the EU " Future Emerging Technology Flagship Project " , a special development program each receive 1 billion euros of funding .

2 natural graphite mineral resources of oligopolies

Graphite materials into natural flake graphite ( crystalline graphite ) , natural amorphous graphite ( graphite Aphanitic ), artificial graphite ( mainly raw petroleum coke and pitch coke ) three kinds . According to USGS data , the world's reserves of 71 million tons of natural graphite , Chinese reserves of 55 million tons , accounting for 77 % of the world , which accounts for crystalline graphite reserves worldwide 2 / 3 Aphanitic graphite resource accounting World 1 /10.

Although in many areas , natural graphite and artificial graphite is not very different . However, because of its excellent natural graphite characteristics , a certain irreplaceable. For example , Aphanitic graphite due to its own physical properties , is doing the best isotropic graphite materials ; in terms of expanded graphite , artificial graphite crystalline graphite can not be replaced ; in flame , the stability is not only the physical properties of natural graphite products , also not like other phosphorus-based flame retardants , chlorine , bromine-based and other harmful substances.

3 . Strategic value of natural graphite with technological advances constantly improve

Such as metal - graphite composite material not only has the properties of metal matrix, but also full of graphite , especially high purity graphite self-lubricating , high chemical stability , good shock absorption , thermal conductivity , low coefficient of linear thermal expansion characteristics, in aerospace, metallurgy, machinery , and other fields have a wide range of uses . The latest development of future applications of graphene even greater space , graphene can replace silicon material used in chips , the chip speed to THZ level. According to the agency estimated that the global annual demand for semiconductor crystal silicon is about 2500 tons , if the alternative to crystalline silicon graphene 1/10 made ​​of high-end integrated circuit , the market capacity of at least 5,000 billion yuan. Graphene is made of super- capacitors, charging time of just 1 ms. 2010 global ultracapacitor market size of 50 billion dollars, and maintain 20% growth rate .

Graphite industry is repeating the mistakes of the rare earth

1
obtain short-term gains by low-value applications and export
Overall, based on our deep processing and high- purity graphite materials preparation technology is still lagging behind , the majority of graphite products , low-grade raw material products . Of graphite or graphite products are the main consumer areas , 26 percent of total consumption of refractories , foundry 15% , lubricant 14% 13% brake linings , pencil 7% , other ( carbon brushes , batteries, swelling graphite, etc. ) 25%.

In the case of back-end application is difficult to open , graphite and rare earths as low as mineral resources export supply worldwide. In 1954 our exports to Europe began casting flake graphite, carbon-containing refractories Since 1980 the steel industry makes extensive use of graphite export volume increasing rapidly. Since the 1990s , China has become the world's largest supplier of natural graphite , graphite due to the excessive export market from 1993 to 2004 international prices hovering at the bottom of graphite , natural graphite, during which 90% of the international market from China . Graphite export prices rebounded after emergence in 2005 , China's export volume has increased steadily in recent years, stabilizing at 40 million tons.

2 . Developed using natural graphite resource grab high profits

There are more than 60 countries and regions in the world imports of graphite , imports more than tons , mainly Japan , the United States , South Korea, the Netherlands , Germany, Italy , United Kingdom, Singapore and Indonesia . Currently , Germany, France , USA, Switzerland , Japan and other developed countries have their own domestic resources of natural graphite closed , not exploitation, but never graphite mineral exporting cheap products purchased after the initial processing of graphite deep processing back to sell at high prices , earn huge profits . For example , often the price of 5,000 yuan / ton export natural flake graphite , but were to 25,000 yuan / ton , more than 2 million yuan / ton price of imports from abroad, thus producing spherical graphite graphite and graphite fluoride . The United States has 90 companies graphite products , natural graphite totally dependent on imports.

Enterprises in developed countries are often formed in the downstream industry oligopoly situation. Such as graphite fluoride mainly produced by the United States, Japan, Russia ; expanded graphite , the United States , Japan, Germany , France and other countries industry leading position , only Japan but also the production of high purity expanded graphite . Foreign companies have done in many areas covered by the patent , for example, a U.S. company as flexible graphite thermal conductivity of the material related patents for full coverage , it is difficult to break .

The main factors restricting the development of China's high-end of the graphite industry

1 . Technological innovation capacity is insufficient

Although aspects of the mining obvious technical advantages, but over the years the mining , beneficiation process no major breakthrough and change, the traditional acid method, high temperature purification methods such as there is a more serious environmental , energy issues . Meanwhile, the back-end application level chain of technological innovation is clearly insufficient. Sulfur expandable technology , flexible graphite series, ball cladding modified metal - a number of key technologies , such as graphite composite material is also still a breakthrough. Does not match the level of equipment and the development needs of the industry . While in the field of flexible graphite, fuel cells, artificial diamond , graphite composite materials , has made some progress, but is severely constrained related equipment .

2 there is a structural defect
innovative organization
Currently graphite industry enterprises are concentrated in the industrial chain front , a small amount of the distribution in the field of battery cathode materials. Enterprises, especially the front end of the industry chain enterprises , technological innovation activities is still less than normal, the level is not high. Front-end enterprise homogeneity is more serious, often into a price war - profits decline - weakness in R & D - the vicious cycle continues imitate.

In the field of graphite , universities and research institutes are currently the main bearer of technological innovation, but the construction of graphite materials science and research strength is still relatively weak , only a handful of universities have set up specialized carbon , no special natural graphite research institutions. While graphite is obviously insufficient basic research on mineralogical characteristics of different types of graphite were not enough, the forward-looking strong emphasis on research and development of new materials and graphite new concepts, new principles and new methods are inadequate.

3 . Government regulation on the industry is not yet in place

At present, China is also smaller overall size of the graphite industry , mineral resources are widely distributed , broadly related to the industrial sector and scattered . Government's industrial controls are not in place , there is no competition in order to improve through effective policy measures , encourage enterprises to carry out technological innovation. Overall competitive graphite industry, especially upstream competition among enterprises is still relatively extensive . Many SMEs sewage , smoke, excessive dust emissions free . Only 60% -80 % recovery of graphite flotation tailings discharge still contain a relatively large amount of the graphite , resulting in a serious waste of resources.

Relevant policy recommendations

1 . Strengthen industry regulation, protective development

Development of related technical standards. Accelerate the development of graphite mining, processing and other aspects of technical standards , to encourage the development of green manufacturing technologies and processes, eliminate backward as soon as possible , technical and technological pollution , gradually guide graphite mineral resources to higher value-added , high-tech enterprise , product configuration . Encourage industry and business to promote the application of new technological processes of graphite , the amount of energy savings through indicators before and after evaluation of the application , given the appropriate tax incentives , continue to enjoy optimal adjustment of export tax rebate graphite product offerings , and guide the development of the domestic high -tech companies , such as expanded graphite products .

2 to create innovative enterprises, promote intensive and graphite industry cluster development

Promote R & D system construction companies and new product development by major technology projects or demonstration projects to accelerate the formation of a number of leading enterprises of graphite with strong innovation capability and core competitiveness. Improve key aspects of the industry chain , relying on resources , accelerate the formation is characterized by a high degree of intensive primary products processing sectors , multi- batch , small batch , custom manufacturing is characterized by deep- processing sectors to high-end applications for the characteristics of the application areas, to the advantage of resource-based industry clusters, composed on the basis of multi-level chain. Relying on high-tech industrial development zones, industrial base and other areas in the mine location or with a research and production advantages of regions, forming a number of prominent features, well-known , internationally competitive industrial clusters .

3 R & D organization and management mechanisms to promote the commercialization of new technologies

Support the development of graphite industrial technology innovation and strategic alliances , and enhance trade associations function in collecting technical requirements , such as the preparation of the technology roadmap . Relying on national science and technology program , interdisciplinary , cross- organizational implementation of a number of planned major innovations graphite products ( engineering) demonstration , led graphite products to high-end development . Graphite industry to develop patent strategy . Continued support to carry out research graphite industry patent map , in key areas such as the anode material , graphite industry patent layout clear direction , building a patent pool . Author: Chinese Academy of Science and Technology Development


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