Process for the purification of graphite material

Abstract

A process for the purification of a graphite material that includes metal sulfide impurities is provided. The process includes subjecting the graphite material to oxidizing conditions, in the presence of oxygen, to convert the metal sulfide impurities into metal oxides and sulfur dioxide, thereby obtaining a metal sulfide-lean graphite material; subjecting the metal sulfide-lean graphite material to carbochlorination, in the presence of chlorine gas, to convert the metal oxides into metal chlorides and obtain a metal chloride-rich graphite material; and purging the metal chlorides from the metal chloride-rich graphite material, thereby obtaining a purified graphite material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.