A New System for Scalable Production of Carbon-based Composites from Sequestered Environmental Carbon

Graphite is one of the most important materials used in our everyday life. It is used in brake linings, lubricants, powdered metals, refractory applications, steelmaking, and batteries. In recent years, the graphite demand in the U.S. has been driven by the high growth rate of electric vehicle production. Approximately 7.8 million electric vehicles were sold in the U.S. in 2022, a 68% increase from 2021, and sales are expected to reach 7-12% of global auto sales by 2030. In addition, large-scale fuel cell use could consume as much graphite as all other markets combined. Therefore, a reliable and low-cost supply of graphite is needed.  In this project, TDA Research Inc. (TDA), in collaboration with North Carolina State University (NC State), will develop a green and efficient process to produce graphite from atmospheric CO2, enabling the mitigation of the negative effects of this greenhouse gas by producing a sustainable, high value carbon product. In Phase I, we will carry out bench-scale experiments to prove the technical viability of the concept. We will also carry out a detailed engineering analysis and design to estimate the overall cost of making the carbon products.