{
  "node": {
    "id": "term:graphite-recycling",
    "type": "Term",
    "label": "Graphite recycling",
    "properties": {
      "id": "graphite-recycling",
      "name": "Graphite recycling",
      "section": "topic-recycling",
      "definition": "Recovering anode graphite, usually burned or left in leach residue, by flotation or as leach residue, then purifying and re-heating it to restore its structure for battery or other uses. Graphite is an EU critical raw material, which is pushing recyclers to keep it.",
      "related": [
        "froth-flotation",
        "graphite",
        "critical-raw-materials",
        "black-mass"
      ],
      "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/graphite-recycling/",
      "mentions": [
        "anode"
      ]
    }
  },
  "edges": [
    {
      "id": "edge:4383",
      "source": "term:graphite-recycling",
      "target": "topic:topic-recycling",
      "type": "belongsTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:4384",
      "source": "term:graphite-recycling",
      "target": "term:froth-flotation",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:4385",
      "source": "term:graphite-recycling",
      "target": "term:graphite",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:4386",
      "source": "term:graphite-recycling",
      "target": "term:critical-raw-materials",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:4387",
      "source": "term:graphite-recycling",
      "target": "term:black-mass",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:mentions/graphite-recycling/anode",
      "source": "term:graphite-recycling",
      "target": "term:anode",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions",
        "field": "definition",
        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:4389",
      "source": "term:graphite-recycling",
      "target": "reference:harper-recycling",
      "type": "cites",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "wiki-references.json",
        "scope": "direct technical reference"
      }
    }
  ],
  "neighbors": [
    {
      "id": "topic:topic-recycling",
      "type": "Topic",
      "label": "Recycling and end of life",
      "properties": {
        "id": "topic-recycling",
        "name": "Recycling and end of life",
        "lede": "What happens to a battery after its first life: reuse, and the recycling routes that recover its materials, step by step.",
        "context": "Distinguish recovered material from a qualified product.",
        "example": "High mass recovery alone does not establish battery-grade purity or refining energy demand.",
        "lesson_url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-production/",
        "lesson_label": "Open process context"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:froth-flotation",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Froth flotation",
      "properties": {
        "id": "froth-flotation",
        "name": "Froth flotation",
        "section": "topic-recycling",
        "definition": "Separating graphite from the oxide particles in black mass by making the water-repellent graphite cling to air bubbles that carry it into a froth. It lets graphite be recovered rather than burned, and leaves cleaner metal oxides for leaching.",
        "related": [
          "black-mass",
          "graphite-recycling",
          "hydrometallurgy"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/froth-flotation/",
        "mentions": [
          "graphite",
          "leaching"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:graphite",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Graphite",
      "properties": {
        "id": "graphite",
        "name": "Graphite",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "Layered carbon, the negative active material of nearly all lithium-ion cells. Lithium intercalates between its layers up to LiC₆, a theoretical 372 mAh/g, at a potential about 0.1 V above lithium metal.",
        "related": [
          "anode-active-material",
          "intercalation",
          "natural-graphite",
          "synthetic-graphite",
          "lithium-plating"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#components",
        "example": {
          "title": "Compare matching mass bases",
          "text": "A graphite value per gram of active material cannot be directly compared with a value including binder, additive and foil."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/graphite/",
        "mentions": [
          "milliampere-hour",
          "active-material"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:critical-raw-materials",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Critical raw materials",
      "properties": {
        "id": "critical-raw-materials",
        "name": "Critical raw materials",
        "section": "topic-sustainability",
        "definition": "Materials that an economy depends on and whose supply is concentrated or at risk: for batteries, lithium, cobalt, nickel, natural graphite and manganese. The EU and US both list them and attach sourcing and recycling targets.",
        "related": [
          "lithium-carbonate",
          "cobalt",
          "natural-graphite",
          "eu-battery-regulation",
          "recycling"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/critical-raw-materials/",
        "mentions": [
          "graphite",
          "manganese"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:black-mass",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Black mass",
      "properties": {
        "id": "black-mass",
        "name": "Black mass",
        "section": "topic-recycling",
        "definition": "The dark powder of mixed electrode materials left after end-of-life cells are discharged, shredded and separated from their casings, foils and separators. It is the traded intermediate that hydrometallurgical refiners buy.",
        "related": [
          "recycling",
          "hydrometallurgy",
          "pyrometallurgy",
          "mechanical-pretreatment",
          "froth-flotation"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/black-mass/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:anode",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Anode",
      "properties": {
        "id": "anode",
        "name": "Anode",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "The electrode where oxidation happens. On discharge that is the negative electrode; on charge it is the positive one. Battery makers nonetheless call the negative electrode “the anode” at all times, after its role on discharge.",
        "related": [
          "negative-electrode",
          "cathode",
          "oxidation",
          "graphite"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#anode-cathode",
        "example": {
          "title": "Check operating direction",
          "text": "During discharge, oxidation makes the negative electrode the anode. During charge, oxidation occurs at the positive electrode. Commercial names often retain the discharge convention."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/anode/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reference:harper-recycling",
      "type": "Reference",
      "label": "Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles",
      "properties": {
        "title": "Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles",
        "publisher": "Nature",
        "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1682-5",
        "type": "Review article",
        "scope": "Reuse, disassembly and mechanical, hydro-, pyro- and direct recycling routes.",
        "year": 2019,
        "authors": [
          "Gavin Harper et al."
        ],
        "accessed": "2026-10-27"
      }
    }
  ]
}