The Malaysian company Graphjet Technology is perhaps in the process of revolutionize the electric car battery sector. To reduce dependence on China and green the battery manufacturing process, it decided to recycle oil palm fruitsoften criticized when it comes to extracting palm oil. How does this new process work?
A second life for these fruits
THE oil palm fruitseveryone knows, are essential for obtain, after extraction, palm oilwidely used and also much criticized in the food industry. It is the most cultivated vegetable oil in the world, ahead of soybean oil and rapeseed oil.
It is found in significant quantities in spreads, rusks, chips, cosmetics, shampoos, frozen meals, etc. Palm oil considered responsible for deforestationand also represents a threat to biodiversity and our health. But the fruit of the oil palm, although pointed out, has not yet said its last word!
In Malaysia, which produces a total of 80% of palm oil with Indonesia, the company Graphjet Technology has just inaugurated a factory giving a second life to these fruits, after extracting the palm oil. Until now, these fruits were considered useless.
The issue is to recycle these fruits to obtain a green and sustainable alternative to certain components of batteries electric cars.
Reduce dependence on China
In all electric cars, we find batteries lithium-ionwhose cells are composed of three elements : a positive cathode, a negative anode et electrons circulating between the two to produce an electric current and thus power the motor. The anode is essentially composed of graphite, and it is this key component that can be replaced by recycled fruit.
The Malaysian company thus succeeded in create highly functional anodes from the kernels of oil palm fruits. The shells, which are particularly resistant, are burned, ground into powder then chemically treated to obtain a green graphite, eco-friendly. The factory launched production at the beginning of December and orders are already flowing in!
In addition to the ecological issue, it is also a question of battery manufacturers reducing their dependence on Chinawhich produces most of the components. In total, more than 90% of the graphite in batteries comes from China, either directly from mines or from factories that synthesize it. A non-Chinese, green and cheap graphite is therefore an interesting perspective in the context of the energy transition.
Article reference:
A Malaysian company recycles oil palm fruits to make electric car batteries. France Info.
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