The main objectives for CHARPHITE project are:
- Selection and characterization of fresh and landfilled coal ash identified as suitable secondary raw material to be used for graphite supply and natural graphite substitution;
- Optimization of the recovery methods and technologies to maximize the CHAR recovery, and to increase the CHAR quality in relation to its utilization;
- Optimization of the iron-rich morphotype recovery methods and technologies to maximize their recovery at high purity levels, to increase “a priori” the quality of these iron concentrates in relation to its utilization as metallic oxides to be incorporated in graphite in electro-assisted reactions;
- Assessment of techno-economic feasibility of the proposed separation/recovery processes taking into consideration the remaining inorganic residues and their potential utilization;
- Obtain char concentrates, as direct and indirect (via graphitization) precursors/new materials for graphite substitution in green high-tech energy solutions;
- Apply and validate the main driving parameters of the innovative technology in the laboratory experimental flow for new precursors/products manufacturing, based on the most promising starting fly ash/bottom ash/char as raw materials;
- Prove the feasibility of conserving natural graphite and reducing European Union, Argentina and South Africa dependency based on the evaluation carried out in the networking countries, including collecting data, inventory, and mapping of the site/dumps location, production for sustainable development;
- Obtain a detailed characterization of the natural graphite deposits/occurrences in the networking countries for reassessment of the old information, and compare to CHAR derived graphite, to enable fundamental political decisions regarding sustainability for future generations;
- Promote a fast and environmentally friendly way to obtain a large amount of graphitic material, and at the same time to increase the substitution of natural graphite utilization in green energy technologies, and to contribute to increasing the recycling of coal combustion ashes.
- Utilization of the CHAR graphitic material to produce exfoliated heteroatom doped products and composites with metal oxides, for application as catalysts in electro-assisted reactions for energy applications: hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for fuel cell technology, and water splitting (O2 and H2 simultaneous production).