ExxonMobil to Acquire Superior Graphite Assets for Synthetic Graphite
ExxonMobil announced Sept. 8 that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the U.S.-based assets, technology, and select international offices of Superior Graphite. Headquartered in Chicago, Superior Graphite has produced graphite and advanced carbon materials for more than a century, according to the company.
The acquisition marks ExxonMobil’s planned entry into the synthetic graphite market, where the material is a key anode component for electric vehicle and stationary energy storage batteries. ExxonMobil said synthetic graphite can be produced from existing refining streams, enabling faster scale-up compared to mined graphite while offering more consistent performance.
According to the company, Superior Graphite’s processes are designed to be less energy-intensive, require less land, and achieve higher throughput than conventional methods. ExxonMobil said its scale and technology will allow it to expand this capability into a competitive U.S. supply chain for battery-grade graphite.
Synthetic graphite is used in the anode of lithium-ion batteries and plays a central role in charging speed and battery life. ExxonMobil said it expects growing demand for higher-performance batteries to drive increased demand for advanced graphite materials.
The move builds on a November 2024 supply agreement in which ExxonMobil committed to provide LG Chem with up to 100,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate from a planned U.S. project. The material will support LG Chem’s cathode plant under construction in Tennessee, which is expected to be the largest in the United States.
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Amanda Joshi has more than 18 years of experience in business-to-business publishing for both print and digital content. Before joining Chemical Processing, she worked with Manufacturing.net and Electrical Contracting Products. She’s a versatile, award-winning editor with experience in writing and editing technical content, executing marketing strategy, developing new products, attending industry events and developing customer relationships.
Amanda graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2001 with a B.A. in English and has been an English teacher. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and daughter, and their mini Aussiedoodle, Riley. In her rare spare time, she enjoys reading, tackling DIY projects, and horseback riding.