High-quality battery graphite confirmed from Hycamite’s hydrogen production process
Polaris Battery Labs, an independent, commercial U.S. research laboratory, has confirmed the high quality of the natural gas-based battery graphite developed by Hycamite, a producer of emission-free hydrogen and high-quality carbon materials. According to Polaris, the graphite refined from graphitic carbon produced using Hycamite’s methane decomposition technology is comparable to commercial battery graphite grades as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, particularly in terms of capacity. Capacity, for example, affects a cell’s energy density and manufacturing costs and determines how attractive the material is to battery cell manufacturers.
The results support Hycamite’s goal of establishing new production of this critical battery material in Europe. Nearly all battery graphite is currently processed in China. According to the European Commission’s definition, graphite is a critical material. Graphite remains one of the most important raw materials in lithium-ion batteries, where it is used as the primary anode material. Global demand is expected to grow significantly as electric vehicles become more widespread and more energy storage facilities are built. Graphite is also used in many other industrial applications.
“We have demonstrated that battery-grade graphite can be produced from natural gas,” says Matti Malkamäki, CEO of Hycamite. “This creates an opportunity to produce critical battery material with a significantly smaller carbon footprint than before, at a competitive price, and in locations where mined graphite is not currently processed. This is necessary for the sake of the climate, economic growth, and our security.”
Polaris Battery Labs impressed by Hycamite’s achievements
“Since 2024, Polaris Battery Labs has provided comprehensive third-party testing and development support to Hycamite for commercialization of their unique graphite product for battery applications,” says Doug Morris, CEO of Polaris Battery Labs.
“Over this period, Hycamite has achieved remarkable improvements in electrochemical performance. First delithiation capacity increased from 325 mAh/g in August 2025 to 361 mAh/g by February 2026, surpassing the typical commercial reference range of 335-350 mAh/g. We are impressed by Hycamite’s knowledge, core technology, and diligence in realizing these electrochemical performance improvements in a very short period of time. These results demonstrate meaningful progress toward a commercially relevant battery graphite product,” Morris continues.
Battery graphite from natural gas or biogas
With Hycamite’s technology, known as methane splitting, methane molecules in natural gas or biogas are broken down into hydrogen and solid carbon without any direct greenhouse gas emissions from the reaction. With Hycamite’s patented methane pyrolysis technology, the graphitic structure is formed largely during methane decomposition, prior to subsequent processing stages. According to the company, the graphite has achieved the 99.95 percent carbon content required for battery use, as well as a reversible capacity of over 350 mAh/g in half-cell tests. Ongoing development work continues to focus on optimizing, among other things, surface area, particle size, density, and first-cycle efficiency prior to final customer and product validation.
According to the company, only a relatively short high-temperature treatment is needed to remove impurities left over from the production process and bring the material into compliance with the requirements for battery-grade graphite. This differs from traditional synthetic graphite production methods, which typically rely on petroleum coke—a byproduct of oil refining—and require significant energy to achieve the purity and crystallinity needed for lithium-ion batteries. Hycamite aims for a carbon footprint of less than 2.5 kg CO₂e per kilogram of battery graphite. This is significantly lower than that of traditional synthetic graphite production methods.
Hycamite is preparing a project in which it, together with its partners and investors, plans to build an annual graphite production capacity of approximately 200 kilotonnes in Europe over the long term. The company is currently advancing the assessment and validation of the material’s suitability for graphite applications and is collaborating with partners in the battery and materials industry value chain to evaluate commercial opportunities.
