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Two Chinese companies have developed a technology that converts ordinary coal into advanced carbon materials, including graphene, carbon fiber, and supercapacitor materials. Details were disclosed at an industry conference in Shanxi province.
The technology was jointly developed by Zhaoqing Shunxin Coal Chemical Industry Technology and Guangdong Coal-based Carbon Materials Research. The companies said the process passed expert evaluation by the China International Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology in 2025, after which specialists recommended accelerating its commercial rollout.
According to the developers, the process uses quantum chemistry principles to separate coal molecules by bond strength. The most stable aromatic structures are used to produce condensed pitch, a feedstock for carbon fiber, carbon foam, three-dimensional graphene, high-purity activated carbon, and supercapacitor materials. Those products have potential applications in aerospace, electronics, and energy storage.
The developers say the technology converts about 60 percent of a coal sample’s carbon into usable products rather than releasing it through combustion, and that processing one tonne of coal this way could cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly two tonnes compared with conventional use.
A commercial agreement has already been signed with state-owned China Pingmei Shenma Group to build a plant in Henan province capable of producing up to 6,000 tonnes of carbon materials per year. The developers also said some products have been tested by prospective customers and are being prepared for serial production.
The technology remains in transition from laboratory and pilot projects to full industrial output, and its economic viability at scale has yet to be confirmed.
