GRAFFITI Production of graphite from biomethane cracking in a molten metal reactor powered by renewable energy
• Nextchem S.p.A. (Coordinator)
Technology owner, pilot plant engineering and operation, industrial validation.
• Department of Chemical Engineering, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza (UNIROMA1)
Laboratory research aimed at process optimization, kinetic studies, carbon characterization.
Project funded by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security under the Mission Innovation 2.0 initiative
The GRAFFITI project focuses on the sustainable production of hydrogen (turquoise H2) and structured carbon through biomethane cracking without CO₂ emissions.
The resulting carbon can be then reprocessed to generate synthetic graphite, in line with the objectives of the call for proposals for Research, development and technological innovation projects covering the entire value chain of Critical Raw Materials (MPC) and Strategic Raw Materials (MPS) launched by the Italian Ministry of the Environment (Mission Innovation 2.0) under which GRAFFITI has been funded, and European requirements for critical materials.
The developed process offers an alternative to traditional synthetic graphite production, which relies on petroleum coke and it is associated with high energy consumption and environmental impacts.
By validating the proposed innovative technology at pilot scale (TRL 7), GRAFFITI aims to enable a new Italian value chain for sustainable graphite and hydrogen production with reduced carbon footprint.
Engineering activities for the pilot have already begun, with entry into service expected between June and July 2026 and completion of the experimental campaign by December 2026.
Critical Raw Materials
From TRL 4 to TRL 7
10 Nm³/h natural gas input
≥90% vs. conventional synthetic graphite production starting from petroleum coke
• Creation of a fully Italian biomethane to graphite supply chain
• Reduced dependence on foreign (especially Chinese) graphite suppliers
• Production of carbon negative materials from renewable biomethane
• Boost to the biomethane sector and circular economy
• Support to hydrogen economy through co production of CO₂ free hydrogen
The GRAFFITI project, developed by NEXTCHEM in collaboration with the University of Rome "La Sapienza", addresses three major challenges in the synthetic graphite value chain:
- Supply vulnerability due to reliance on petroleum coke and foreign graphite sources
- High environmental impact of existing production processes
- Need for renewable, low‑carbon feedstocks to meet future industrial demands
The core of the project is a new molten‑metal bubble reactor powered by renewable energy developed by NEXTCHEM using its proprietary Natural Gas Cracking technology, subject of two patents filed in 2022–2023, with a third one pending.
Methane enters in the molten bath as bubbles that decompose at high temperatures. The bubbles open at the upper interface of the liquid medium, releasing carbon and hydrogen. The carbon floats on the surface of the liquid metal, having a lighter density than the metal, making it easier to separate from the reactor.
The GRAFFITI Project is organized into five strategic work packages (WPs), each designed to address specific phases of the project lifecycle. These work packages facilitate structured implementation, from the lab scale optimization of the technology, to pilot scale validation and carbon valorization, ensuring the parallel assessment of the technology impacts when implemented at larger scale. The following sections provide a brief overview of each work package, outlining their primary focus.
- WP1 – Laboratory Scale Optimization (UNIROMA1): Cracking tests, bubble size studies, carbon characterization, and purification strategy.
- WP2 – Pilot Plant Validation (NEXTCHEM): Pilot plant Engineering, construction, commissioning, and 2,000 hours of pilot operation.
- WP3 – Carbon Valorization (NEXTCHEM): Industrial testing of carbon samples with the support of third parties
- WP4 – Industrial Impact Assessment (NEXTCHEM): Scale‑up strategy, techno‑economic analysis, life‑cycle assessment, and commercialization roadmap.
- WP5 – Communication & Dissemination (NEXTCHEM & UNIROMA1): Scientific publications, workshops, outreach materials, and stakeholder engagement.
• TRL 7 demonstration of molten metal cracking technology
• Production of sufficient carbon for testing in real industrial applications
• Assessment of technology feasibility from technical, economic, and environmental perspectives
• Significant reduction of the carbon footprint and energy consumption of the proposed technology compared to current graphite production
• Identification of market opportunities and preparation of commercialization strategies;
• Number of hours of operation of the pilot plant at TRL 7: 2,000 (intended as hours for parameter optimization + solid carbon production)
• Target degree of graphitization (as percentage of graphitic carbon compared to total carbon): >20%
• Target purity of the solid carbon product as tin content: ≤ 3% by weight
• Total amount of carbon with a high degree of graphitization produced on a pilot scale: 1,000 kg
• Reduction in the carbon footprint of the synthetic graphite production process from natural gas compared to the production of synthetic graphite from petroleum coke: ≥90% (using energy from RES)
• Increased energy efficiency of the synthetic graphite production process from natural gas compared to synthetic graphite production from petroleum coke: 50-100%
• Reduction in the production cost of synthetic graphite from natural gas, compared to the production of synthetic graphite from petroleum coke: 30-50%
The project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) in the framework of the Mission Innovation 2.0 initiative, promoting Research, Development and Technological Innovation Projects concerning the entire value chain of Critical Raw Materials (CRM) and Strategic Raw Materials (SRM) - DM 386/2023.
Total project cost: €4,454,770
Funding: €2,898,931.25
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