Chinese researchers develop ultra-high purity graphite products

A research team from China Minmetals Corporation has developed a key technology for the high-temperature purification of graphite, successfully developing ultra-high purity graphite products with a purity exceeding 99.99995 percent, marking that China's ultra-high purity graphite products have reached the international leading level, experts said at a news conference held on Tuesday in Hegang city, Heilongjiang province.

Ultra-high purity graphite refers to graphite with a carbon content of over 99.99 percent, which features good self-lubrication, good conductivity, corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance and excellent chemical stability.

"In collaboration with leading equipment manufacturing companies in the industry, we independently developed a continuous graphite purification process and equipment," said Wang Jionghui, the team leader. "Through a combination of physical and chemical purification, low-temperature and high-temperature continuous purification, and ultra-high vacuum purification, we achieved a stepwise purification process that increased the graphite purity from 95 percent to over 99.99995, while maintaining product quality stability."

The company owns one of the largest graphite mine across the world - Yunshan Graphite Mine in Hegang, which has an annual production capacity of 200,000 metric tons and a deep processing industrial chain.

"Our team is accelerating the research and development of high-end anode materials, nuclear-grade graphite, and graphite for semiconductor applications and other carbon-based materials," said Wang.