Graphite remains the most widely used anode material in lithium-ion batteries, and the initial formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (or SEI) largely dictates the long-term performance of commercial cells. In this post we take a look at the work of WMG, University of Warwick and James Durrans & Sons Limited.
A preprint copy of the paper is available:
Elizabeth Oseland, Teena Rajan, Michael Lain, Daniela Proprentner, Harriet Dutton, Andrew Bostwick, Paul Siddy, David Wilson, Louis Piper, Graphite Development from a Manufacturers Perspective: Processing, Formation and Benchmarking, ChemRxiv, September 2025
Developing new graphite anodes to diversify the supply chain remains challenging due to proprietary formation protocols and inconsistent test formats. In this study between WMG, University of Warwick and James Durrans & Sons Limited we report on the development of industry-grade graphite as a case study to examine what is required from materials requirements to align with up adoption in Li-ion batteries – including “apples for apples” pouch cell studies with commercial benchmarks.
By standardizing:
- electrode morphology
- formation procedures
- testing conditions
We can isolate the influence of active material properties e.g. how first cycle loss is linked to SEI formation and how coatings and cycling conditions (e.g. temperature and additives) can influence it.
Under “like for like” comparative studies of NMC 811//graphite pouch cell, the modified synthetic graphite developed displayed higher rate performance and increased capacity retention at 1C over 200 cycles over established commercial counterparts.
This study highlights that subtle variations in material surface properties and formation protocols can significantly influence first cycle loss, directly linking early-stage electrochemical behaviour to both intrinsic material characteristics and processing choices. By systematically comparing a novel graphite material to a commercial benchmark across multiple cell formats—from coin cells to single-layer pouch cells—we isolated material-specific effects while maintaining consistent morphology, processing, and formation conditions. This rigorous approach establishes a robust electrochemical baseline, enabling meaningful, apples-to-apples comparisons across graphite sources. More importantly, it bridges the gap between lab-scale experimentation and commercial relevance, ensuring that promising materials are evaluated under conditions reflective of real-world manufacturing. By identifying critical electrochemical indicators early in the cell’s lifecycle, our work provides a robust framework for high-throughput material screening to accelerate the translation of novel anode materials into scalable, high-performance battery systems.
Battery Materials and Cells Group
BMAC is a unique, all-in-one battery research group, offering a complete development pipeline from materials research and cell prototyping to scale-up and advanced metrology through our state-of-art facilities within Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) and Wellesbourne campus. Our comprehensive approach accelerates innovation from lower to higher technology readiness levels (TRLs), all under one roof. Our expertise spans the entire battery lifecycle, from materials research and prototyping to scaled-up production and in-depth analysis.
We leverage cutting-edge electrochemical techniques and materials science knowledge to develop innovative solutions for energy storage. Our research goes beyond lithium-ion, exploring promising next-generation chemistries to meet the demands of a sustainable future.
See also: Graphite