Collaboration Opportunity: Scalable Production of 3D Graphene from Coal/Petroleum Pitch for Advanced Energy Applications

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking collaboration to further develop and commercialize a method for producing 3D graphene from coal pitch or petroleum pitch. The manufacturing method allows for the recovery, regeneration, and reuse of the K2CO3 chemical activating agent used to synthesize the graphene material. The 3D graphene produced has high electrical conductivity, high internal surface area and pore volume, low density of O-containing functional groups and surface defects, and a hierarchical interconnected network of pores. The material can be used for various applications, including supercapacitor electrodes, lithium sulfur battery electrodes, and sorbents for water, fluid, or gas purification and processing. • The manufacturing method is simple and low-cost, utilizing domestic feedstocks. • The 3D graphene produced has high quality and can be used for a range of applications. • The recovery, regeneration, and reuse of the K2CO3 chemical activating agent reduces waste and improves process efficiency. • The collaboration aims to bring the technology to the market through licensing and/or cooperative research and development collaborations.