Graphite facts

Graphite is a non-metallic mineral that has properties similar to metals, such as a good ability to conduct heat and electricity. Graphite occurs naturally or can be produced synthetically. Purified natural graphite has higher crystalline structure and offers better electrical and thermal conductivity than synthetic material.

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Uses

Among the many applications, natural and synthetic graphite are used for electrodes, refractories, batteries and lubricants and by foundries. Coated spherical graphite is used to manufacture the anode in lithium-ion batteries. High-grade graphite is also used in fuel cells, semiconductors, LEDs and nuclear reactors.

Production

The Lac des Iles mine in Quebec is the only mine in Canada that produced graphite in 2022. However, many other companies are working on advancing graphite projects. Canada produced 13,000 tonnes of natural graphite in 2022, which was an increase from 2021 of 9,743 tonnes.

International context

Global production and demand for graphite are anticipated to increase in the coming years, largely because of the use of graphite in the batteries of electric vehicles. In 2022, global consumption of graphite reached 3.8 million tonnes, compared to 3.6 million tonnes in 2021. Synthetic graphite accounted for about 56% of the graphite consumption, which was concentrated largely in Asia. North America consumes only 1% of global natural graphite, but almost 9% of synthetic graphite.

Global mine production of graphite was 1.3 million tonnes in 2022, up 15% compared to the previous year. China is the leading global producer, accounting for 66% of production in 2022. Canada ranks sixth globally for natural graphite production, producing about 1% of global natural graphite.

World mine production of graphite, by country, 2022

Ranking	Country	Thousand tonnes	Percentage of total
1	China	850.0	65.6%
2	Mozambique	170.0	13.1%
3	Madagascar	110.0	8.5%
4	Brazil	87.0	6.7%
5	Russia	15.0	1.2%
6	Canada	13.0	1.0%
7	Norway	10.0	0.8%
8	India	8.3	0.6%
9	North Korea	8.1	0.6%
10	Ukraine	3.0	0.2%
	Other	21.6	1.6%
World total (rounded)		1,296.0	100.0%

World reserves with the largest volume of graphite

In 2022, global reserves of graphite were estimated to be 330 million tonnes. Turkey has the largest reserves of graphite, followed by Brazil and China. Together these three countries accounted for 66% of the estimated world graphite reserves.

Canada ranks ninth globally for graphite reserves at an estimated 5.9 million tonnes or 1.8% of the world total.

World reserves of graphite, by country, 2022

Ranking	Country	Million tonnes	Percentage of total
1	Turkey	90.0	27.3%
2	Brazil	74.0	22.4%
3	China	52.0	15.8%
4	Madagascar	26.0	7.9%
5	Mozambique	25.0	7.6%
6	Tanzania	18.0	5.5%
7	India	8.0	2.4%
8	Uzbekistan	7.6	2.3%
9	Canada	5.9	1.8%
10	Mexico	3.1	0.9%
	Other	20.4	6.2%
Total		330.0	100.0%

Trade

In 2022, the value of Canada’s domestic exports of graphite was $36 million, a 9.3% decline compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, imports increased in 2022, by 11% to $25.7 million.

Natural graphite accounted for 60.7% ($21.8 million) of the value of Canada’s domestic exports of graphite and 16.8% ($4.3 million) of Canada’s imports of graphite in 2022. Synthetic graphite accounted for 39.3% ($14.1 million) of Canada’s exports of graphite and 83.2% ($21.4 million) of Canada’s imports of graphite in 2022.

In 2022, the United States was the primary destination for Canada’s exports of natural and synthetic graphite, accounting for 81% and 58% of the total export value, respectively. In addition, Canada also exported natural graphite to 17 other countries and synthetic graphite to 20 other countries.

Prices

The market price for graphite is not readily available because natural and synthetic graphite transactions are based mostly on direct negotiations between the buyer and seller.

Natural graphite prices tend to be determined based on a range of factors such as graphite content, flake size and impurity level.

As the largest global producer, China naturally influences international prices, which are provided mainly by large, high-volume buyers and tend to be conservative. Most small buyers tend to pay higher prices.

Recycling

Although currently small, the market for recycled refractory graphite material is expanding, with material being recycled into products such as brake lining and thermal insulation.

Although graphite is not commonly recovered from the recycling of lithium-ion batteries, a Quebec-based company is developing a hydrometallurgical process to recover most of the battery’s raw materials, including the graphite.