Australian battery materials developer EcoGraf has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwanese battery materials firm Long Time Technology (LTT) to collaborate on the development and deployment of EcoGraf’s hydrofluoric-acid-free graphite purification technology.
The non-binding agreement focuses on integrating EcoGraf’s HFfree purification process into LTT’s anode material supply chains across Taiwan and South-East Asia, as demand grows for sustainable sources of battery-grade graphite used in lithium-ion battery anodes.
Graphite is a key material for lithium-ion battery anodes used in electric vehicles, consumer electronics and stationary energy storage systems. Traditional purification processes for battery-grade graphite typically rely on hydrofluoric acid (HF), a hazardous chemical associated with environmental and safety concerns. EcoGraf’s HFfree process is designed to produce high-purity graphite without using HF while achieving around 99.95% carbon purity, a standard required for battery anode materials.
Under the collaboration, LTT will evaluate EcoGraf’s anode products and assess how the purification technology could be incorporated into its manufacturing network. The companies also plan to conduct performance benchmarking against existing market materials and explore potential joint venture structures for graphite purification facilities.
Long Time Technology has established links across the battery and electronics supply chain in Taiwan, and its major shareholder is Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), a major electronics manufacturer and supplier to companies including Apple. The partnership could potentially provide EcoGraf with access to broader battery and electric-vehicle supply chains serving global original equipment manufacturers.
EcoGraf’s Tanzanian graphite project
The collaboration also supports EcoGraf’s broader strategy to build an integrated supply chain for battery anode materials. The company is developing the Epanko project in Tanzania, which is intended to supply feedstock for downstream processing facilities that convert natural graphite into spherical graphite and purified anode materials.
LTT will assess potential offtake and investment opportunities linked to the expansion of downstream processing associated with EcoGraf’s flagship Epanko project in Tanzania. An updated bankable feasibility study outlines a US$516 million Stage 1 development, which would increase planned throughput by 21.7% to 73,000 tonnes per year, up from the originally proposed 60,000 tonnes per year. The project will include a crushing, grinding and flotation plant with a capacity of 850,000 tonnes per year.
EcoGraf said the partnership could help accelerate commercial adoption of its purification technology while supporting the development of more diversified and environmentally responsible graphite supply chains for lithium-ion batteries. Its managing director, Andrew Spinks, said: “This agreement marks a significant step in advancing our global anode strategy using LTT’s ex-China battery platform and, when combined with its potential connection to the Foxconn supply chain, it offers a highly-attractive route into Tier-1 OEM markets.
“By integrating HFfree technology into LTT’s supply chain and exploring joint global facilities, we aim to establish a competitive, sustainable anode supply solution for international markets.”
LTT’s CEO, Wayne Yen, said: “EcoGraf’s technology aligns with the needs of our global customer network services, including but not limited the partners in the battery industry ecosystem, and we look forward to progressing technical evaluations and potential future commercial discussions.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story erroneously mentioned both hydrochloric acid (HCI) and hydrofluoric acid (HF). This has been corrected. Many thanks to reader Dr. Hans Albert Lingscheidt for noting this error.
