Fuel-grade petroleum coke (PC), a byproduct of oil refining, is predominantly used as a low-cost fuel in cement kilns and power plants, leading to significant greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional methods for upgrading PC to battery-grade graphite are highly energy-intensive, requiring extreme temperatures (>3000°C) and prolonged processing times, making them economically and environmentally unsustainable. In this study, we present a catalytic graphitization process that enables the efficient conversion of fuel-grade PC into high-purity, battery-grade graphite at significantly lower temperatures (<1600 °C) and shorter durations. Using iron (Fe) as a catalyst, the process reduces activation energy and facilitates graphitization. The catalyst was successfully recovered as Fe2O3 and reused as a catalyst, enhancing the sustainability of the process. Comprehensive material characterization, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, confirmed the high degree of graphitization and structural integrity of the synthesized graphite. Electrochemical evaluation of the fuel-grade PC-derived graphite as a lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode demonstrated performance comparable to commercial synthetic and natural graphite. The results highlight the feasibility of catalytic graphitization as an energy-efficient and scalable approach for sustainable graphite production from petroleum coke, paving the way for its industrial application in energy storage technologies.
