Abstract:From 2013 to 2022, the overall production and demand of the mainland natural graphite industry showed an overall growth trend, with the output increasing from 791,000 tons to 1,161,000 tons, and the demand increasing from 608,600 tons to 1,086,800 tons. The natural graphite production areas in mainland China are mainly distributed in Heilongjiang, Sichuan and Shandong, and natural graphite is mainly obtained through the mining of graphite mines, so there is no risk of supply interruption. China's graphite deep processing technology is at the forefront of the world, and high-temperature purification, graphene production and other processed products have advantages in the international market.
1. Definitions and Classification
Natural graphite is a naturally formed graphite in nature, which generally occurs in graphite schist, graphite gneiss, graphite-containing schist and metamorphic shale and other ores. The main problem faced by natural graphite in the field of power batteries is poor cycle performance, and the artificial graphite crystal structure stability through the graphitization process is good, the volume expansion coefficient is low, and the cycle life can reach more than 5000 times, and the compatibility with the electrolyte, low temperature performance, rate performance and fast charging performance are good, the core performance indicators are balanced, and it is more suitable for the field of power and high-end consumer batteries, and the market penetration rate is gradually increasing, and artificial graphite is the current mainstream anode material technology route.
Second, the business model
1. Mineral mining and processing
As an important non-metallic mineral resource, the core of the business model of natural graphite is the mining and processing of minerals. This includes mining exploration, ore mining, graphite ore selection, grinding, flotation and other processing links.
2. Product production and processing
The production and processing of graphite products is a vital part of the entire industrial chain. This includes the processing of raw materials such as graphite powder and graphene, as well as the production of various graphite products, such as graphite electrodes, graphite powders, coatings, lubricants, etc.
3. Sales and marketing
Sales channels and marketing are essential to the business model of the graphite industry. This includes activities such as building a sales network, developing customers, participating in industry exhibitions, conducting marketing and brand building, etc.
4. Technology R&D and innovation
With the progress of science and technology, the graphite industry also needs to continue to carry out technology research and development and innovation to improve product quality, reduce production costs, and develop new application fields. This includes work on the performance improvement of graphite materials, the optimization of production processes, and the development of new products.
3. Industry policy
The mainland is a large country with graphite resources storage and graphite production. The development of graphite mineral resources in mainland China can be roughly divided into three stages, the first stage is before 2012, the mining intensity of graphite resources in mainland China is high, graphite mining and selection is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, the production scale is small and scattered, and the technical equipment is backward, resulting in long-term excessive consumption of graphite resources; The second stage is 2012-2016, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology put forward the "Graphite Industry Access Conditions", began to curb the low-level repeated construction of graphite mining, planned the construction of graphite projects, production scale and product quality, changed the market pattern of many, small, scattered and chaotic, and the mainland graphite mining entered a period of rectification; The third stage is after 2016, in November 2016, the State Council approved the Ministry of Land and Resources and other six departments to jointly issue and implement the "National Mineral Resources Planning (2016-2020)", which will include graphite in the list of strategic mineral resources and further strengthen the management of the mining and utilization of graphite resources. In 2023, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the "Opinions on Several Matters Concerning Deepening the Reform of Mineral Resources Management" to further regulate the mining of natural graphite and other industries.
Fourth, industry barriers
1. Resource constraints
The uneven distribution of natural graphite mineral resources, with abundant resources in some areas but scarce resources in most areas, which limits the overall development of the industry. At the same time, some mineral resources are restricted by environmental protection policies, which increases the difficulty and cost of mining.
2. Technical barriers
The processing technology of natural graphite has high requirements for equipment, technology and talents, especially some high value-added products, such as graphene, etc., which have higher technical content. Technical barriers have made it difficult for some small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the high-end market, thus limiting the overall competitiveness of the industry.
3. Environmental pressure
The discharge of pollutants such as waste water and waste gas generated in the process of natural graphite mining and processing is strictly restricted by environmental protection laws and regulations, and enterprises need to invest a lot of money in treatment and emission reduction. Environmental pressure has increased the production cost of enterprises, and also intensified the fierce competition in the industry.
4. Market competition
The domestic natural graphite industry is highly competitive, the market saturation is high, and the price fluctuates greatly. At the same time, there are also some competitors in the international market, and Chinese companies need to maintain competitive advantages in terms of technology, quality, and price.
5. Integration of industrial chain
The natural graphite industry involves mineral mining, processing, production, sales and other links, and the industrial chain is long, and the synergy between each link is insufficient, and the integration is difficult. The lack of complete industrial chain integration leads to waste of resources and low production efficiency.
6. Intellectual property protection
In the research and development and innovation of natural graphite-related products, the protection of intellectual property rights is particularly important. The lack of effective intellectual property protection leads to the infringement and copying of technology, which reduces the enthusiasm and competitive advantage of enterprises.
Fifth, the industrial chain
The upstream of the industrial chain of the natural graphite industry is mainly the exploration and mining of graphite ore; The midstream is the production and supply link of natural graphite, and the main products are crystalline graphite and cryptocrystalline graphite; The downstream is widely used in batteries, metallurgy, chemical industry, machinery, electronics, new energy, aerospace, military industry, nuclear industry and refractory materials.
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