New bio-based lithium-ion anode graphite coating reduces CO₂e
Developers report equivalent capacity, first-cycle efficiency, fast charging, and an estimated 130 kg less direct CO₂e per tonne of coated graphite.
12 Oct, 2026. 3 minutes read
image credit: NMG
What was announced
Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG), a Québec manufacturer of natural graphite for lithium-ion battery anodes, together with a McGill University team supervised by materials engineering professor Philippe Ouzilleau, developed a bio-based coating process for its coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG), a the carbon-coated anode active material NMG holds commercial exclusivity. A patent application has been filed.[1][2]
NMG's bio-based coating is designed to replace fossil pitch, a coal-tar or petroleum residue. The company says laboratory tests to a cell manufacturer's protocol showed equivalent capacity, first-cycle efficiency and fast charging. NMG estimates the swap could cut direct (Scope 1) emissions by 130 kg CO₂e per tonne of CSPG.[1][3]
Why it matters
Spheroidized natural graphite is carbon-coated because the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) that forms on the first charge, and the capacity it costs, depend heavily on particle surface area and porosity. A uniform carbon shell raises first-cycle efficiency and rate performance.[3]
In the conventional process, pitch is applied to the particles and heat-treated at around 1,000 °C under inert gas, which drives off its volatile fraction and leaves the carbon layer.[3] In NMG's 2025 plant design, about half of the pitch is volatilised and burned in thermal oxidisers, which convert it to CO₂ and water before release.[4] NMG says its bio-based process remains compatible with existing manufacturing equipment.[1]
For scale, NMG's 130 kg estimate equals 0.13 kg CO₂e per kg of CSPG, about a twelfth of the 1.57 kg CO₂e per kg that NMG cites for its anode active material from an updated life-cycle assessment (our calculation; the 130 kg covers direct emissions only, while the 1.57 kg is a life-cycle figure).[1][5]
In January 2021, NMG named biomass as an example of the new coating precursors it was developing with Ouzilleau's group.[2] A 2025 review of pitch coatings in the Journal of Energy Storage calls for prioritising pitch precursors derived from biomass and lists hurdles including feedstock variability, purification, scalable production and tailoring the bio-pitch's properties.[3]
NMG's bio-based coating is most relevant to cell makers that weigh carbon footprint when sourcing anode material. For engineers choosing an anode graphite for a current design, nothing changes yet.
Technical specifications: Bio-based coating for NMG's CSPG: laboratory results announced 7 October 2026
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Coated product | Coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG), natural graphite anode active material |
| Coating precursor | Bio-based; material not stated |
| Replaces | Pitch coating |
| Development stage | Laboratory scale; patent application filed |
| Capacity | Equivalent (NMG); value not stated |
| First-cycle efficiency | Equivalent (NMG); value not stated |
| Fast charging | Equivalent (NMG); test rate not stated |
| Test protocol | Protocol of an unnamed cell manufacturer |
| Long-term cycling | No data released; comparative tests planned as a next step |
| Further steps | Evaluation of new material types, then validation on industrial-scale equipment |
| Direct (Scope 1) emissions | Estimated 130 kg CO₂e per tonne of CSPG lower than with pitch coating (NMG estimate, not a life-cycle assessment) |
| Indirect (Scope 2 and 3) emissions | Not quantified; NMG says work to reduce them continues |
| Equipment | Compatible with existing manufacturing equipment (NMG) |
Sources: [1]
For reference, NMG has published test data for its pitch-coated CSPG. In half coin cells tested at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and reported in NMG's 2022 feasibility study, laboratory CSPG samples reached about 91% first-cycle efficiency and pilot-kiln material 92.7%.[6]
In NRC pouch-cell tests reported in June 2023, NMG's pilot-scale CSPG performed similarly to a commercial reference graphite in capacity and first-cycle efficiency. Pouch cells made with either graphite kept 80% of their initial capacity up to 750 to 800 cycles on average and missed a target of more than 80% over 1,000 cycles. NRC attributed the shortfall to cell construction rather than the anode materials.[4]
A design-in decision would need, at minimum, comparable long-term cycling results for NMG's bio-based coating.
Recommended Next Reading:
Battery Degradation: Mechanisms, Causes, and How to Slow It. How SEI growth, lithium plating and particle cracking on graphite anodes drive capacity fade and resistance growth in lithium-ion cells.
References
- NMG Develops Low-carbon-Footprint Anode Material Coating Process in Collaboration with McGill University, Business Wire, 7 October 2026. Company press release.
- Nouveau Monde Advances its 2,000-Tonne Coated Spherical Graphite Production Facility: Commissioning Set for Q1 Next Year, Nouveau Monde Graphite, 26 January 2021.
- Carbon-derived pitch assisted surface modification of anode materials for lithium-ion batteries: Status and future perspectives, Journal of Energy Storage (Elsevier), vol. 125, article 116981, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.est.2025.116981. Peer-reviewed review (Han et al.); open-access copy hosted by the University of Glasgow.
- NI 43-101 Updated Technical Feasibility Study Report for the Matawinie Mine and the Bécancour Battery Material Plant Integrated Graphite Projects, BBA Inc. and co-authors for Nouveau Monde Graphite, effective 25 March 2025. NI 43-101 technical report filed with the US SEC; coating plant design in sections 17.3.1 and 21.4.1.3, pouch-cell results in section 13.2.6.3.
- Corporate presentation: Advanced Graphite Materials to Power Tomorrow's Industries, Nouveau Monde Graphite, August 2026. Investor presentation; the 1.57 kg figure is on slide 14.
- Feasibility Study for the Matawinie Mine and the Bécancour Battery Material Plant Integrated Graphite Projects, BBA Inc. and co-authors for Nouveau Monde Graphite, effective 6 July 2022. NI 43-101 technical report filed with the US SEC; coating tests in section 13.2.3.