IMERYS Graphite and Carbon: High-Performance Solutions for Sustainable Future

The climate-change crisis is exacerbated by record-high carbon emissions around the globe, and reducing carbon footprint has become an environmental responsibility of all major businesses. As a result, the world is witnessing an exceptional surge in the adoption of renewable energy, and an up-and-coming clean energy carrier is the hydrogen fuel cell. Explaining the trends in the adoption of this technology, Frank Wittchen, VP & General Manager, IMERYS Graphite and Carbon (IGC), says, “Several companies in the industry including automotive OEMs have re-routed their development strategies towards adopting fuel cells, as the technology is well-suited to the needs of the industry.” Fuel cells efficiently generate electricity via electrochemical processes and power devices from heavy equipment to smaller personal electronics. Additionally, hydrogen fuel cells are environmentally friendly as they produce only water and heat as byproducts and require minimal maintenance. As a global leader in graphite and carbon technology for fuel cells, IGC has been manufacturing, selling, and marketing carbon-based products since 1908, with a focus on minimising CO2 footprint while maintaining operational efficiency.

IGC offers high-tech carbon-based solutions to several industries, ranging from manufacturing to consumer goods. The company specialises in producing various synthetic and natural graphite powders, conductive carbon blacks, silicon-carbon composites, and several other products. IGC’s products are subjected to rigorous testing under controlled conditions, starting from sourcing the raw materials to finishing the products. The company’s marketing and R&D team works closely with clients to deliver customised solutions. A member of IMERYS Group, IGC is synonymous with innovation and offers high-quality speciality carbon for bipolar plates, carbon powders and dispersions for gas diffusion layers and carbon-based catalyst support for fuel cells.

The company develops carbon-based solutions such as TIMREX® and ENSACO® for carbon-polymer composites optimised with unique graphite and carbon black grades. The solutions are compatible with thermoplastics and thermosets and can be employed under a wide range of conditions and compositions. TIMREX® is highly crystalline graphite with optimal particle shape and large crystallite size that ensures mechanical stability and high electrical conductivity.

TIMREX® K S c ontains m edium t o c oarse particles characterised by good flowability even at high carbon loading, simplifying composite bipolar plate production and improving stack performance. Conductive carbon black ENSACO® 250G further enhances the performance of bipolar plates, which boosts the conductivity of the composites. Quality has always been the cornerstone of IGC, and the company is known to exceed the needs and expectations of its clients.

IGC is ISO 9001:2015 certified and works closely with its clients to develop efficient fuel cells. Moreover, the organisation takes pride in its high standards regarding employee health and safety, as well as social and environmental responsibility. EcoVadis—the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings— awarded IGC with an esteemed accolade for its social and ecological performance, placing the company in the top one per cent among sixty-five thousand companies assessed. It is also a United Nations Global Compact member, and the Carbon Disclosure Project rated IGC above the sector average in sustainability efforts. IGC resolves the several obstacles its clients face and develops innovative products and applications with a consistent approach verified by the Science-Based Target Initiative. With a customer-centric and problem-solving approach, the enterprise strives to foster innovation and sustainability in the fuel cells industry.

Fuel cells are complementing existing lithium-ion battery solutions across several different sectors, but for wider adoption in the market, fuel cells need to be highly efficient and cost-competitive. Elaborating on this, Wittchen adds, “Higher chemical reaction speed and efficiency is what our customers require to increase the energy yield. IGC is developing more efficient, more electrically conductive and more inert carbon based products specifically dedicated to fuel cells.” IGC currently focuses on improving the catalyst support, bipolar plate, and gas diffusion layer in fuel cells. Since it is a rapidly growing market, the company aims to expand its global footprint to quench the thirst of various industries for a sustainable energy source. As Wittchen concludes, “We are the specialist of this technology, and we want to support our customers to be successful.”