# Utilizing Graphite Waste from the Acheson Furnace as Anode Material in Lithium-Ion Batteries
## 1 Introduction  
In modern technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS), the lithium-ion battery (LIB) market has been pivotal [1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6]. Over the past decade, the LIB market has experienced steady growth due to the increasing demand for energy storage solutions. However, recent projections indicate that LIB market expansion is slower than initially anticipated, raising concerns among manufacturers and stakeholders. This slowdown has intensified competition among battery material manufacturers, particularly as the market becomes saturated with cost-sensitive applications [6]. The anode material, one of the four key components of LIBs, is primarily composed of graphite [7; 8; 9; 10; 11]. Graphite-based anodes are widely favored for their stability, conductivity, and compatibility with existing LIB technologies. Although silicon-based anode materials have recently gained attention for their high-capacity characteristics, challenges such as low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and severe volume expansion during the charge-discharge process limit their adoption to less than 10% of the anode material composition when mixed with graphite [12; 13]. This underscores the continued reliance on graphite as the dominant anode material. Consequently, the price of graphite plays a significant role in determining the overall cost of anode materials, creating additional pressure on manufacturers to optimize costs without compromising quality. In 2024, artificial graphite anodes produced in China were priced at approximately USD 5 per kilogram. This competitive pricing environment has forced manufacturers to seek innovative ways to reduce raw material costs while maintaining or improving product performance. In response to these market pressures, the use of alternative and cost-effective raw materials has emerged as a key strategy [14; 15; 16; 17; 18]. One promising approach involves utilizing industrial waste products, particularly graphite waste (GW) [14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22]. For instance, insulation material composed of granulated coke used for graphitization in an Acheson furnace (Figure 1), which has been used for over a century for the synthesis of artificial graphite, could be considered a representative example of GW. Due to its existing graphitization, this by-product offers unique potential for reuse, presenting an opportunity to reduce production costs and mitigate environmental impacts. Yet, it is often discarded or underutilized, reflecting a missed opportunity for sustainable material recovery. GW from the Acheson furnace holds great potential as a raw material for battery anode production because it is already graphitized. Graphitization is a crucial and energy-intensive process in the production of artificial graphite anodes. Typically, raw carbonaceous materials undergo heat treatment at temperatures exceeding 2800 \({}^{\circ}\)C for several days to convert them into graphite, a process that consumes substantial amounts of energy and time [23; 24]. This high-temperature process not only contributes to significant energy consumption but also results in high carbon emissions, making it a target for environmental sustainability efforts. By contrast, GW has already undergone this transformation, providing manufacturers with a resource that requires minimal additional processing. By utilizing GW, manufacturers can bypass the graphitization process, significantly reducing energy consumption, production time, and overall costs. Additionally, the use of GW aligns with global sustainability initiatives aimed at promoting the circular economy. The reuse of industrial waste materials not only reduces dependency on virgin graphite resources but also minimizes waste generation, addressing key environmental and economic challenges. Despite these advantages, challenges remain in adopting GW for LIB anodes. One key concern is the purity of GW.