Aussie tire recycler to carbon into high value graphite in boost to biofuels economics
In Australia, Green Distillation Technologies signed with New Zealand’s CarbonScape to convert streams from recycled tires to high value graphite. GDT operates a tire processing plant at Warren in Western New South Wales, which is where the work on the future co-development of graphite will take place. They are also in the capital fund raising stage for their second commercial plant in Toowoomba, Southern Queensland having secured all the necessary Government approvals. GDT’s world-first tyre recycling process turns end-of-life car, truck and oversize tires into high value oil, carbon and steel, while CarbonScape, based in Marlborough, New Zealand has developed patented technology turning sawdust and waste biomass into high purity, high value carbon products, including graphite.
Graphite is a non-metallic mineral and the most stable form of carbon. It is chemically inert, corrosion resistant with a high melting point of 3650°C and is a good conductor of electricity. Graphite is defined as a ‘critical strategic mineral’ in the USA and Europe and global demand is growing at 5.8% p.a. to 4.2 million tonnes which was worth USD 30 billion to 2018. Within the global graphite market, high purity graphite for Li-ion batteries is forecast to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 26% to 2029 with pricing estimates of USD5,000 per tonne. Potential end use of high purity graphite includes Li-ion batteries for use in electric vehicles and stationary storage, solar panels, supercapacitors and other electronic applications.
Category: Fuels
