SolGrapH Inc. is a clean energy technology company developing and commercializing a novel, emission-free process that uses concentrated solar irradiation to convert natural gas or biogas into high-quality and high-purity graphite and hydrogen.

Market:

SolGrapH Inc. aims to address the problem of inadequate and environmentally-unfriendly supply of graphite for energy storage, as well as the lack of affordable clean hydrogen. The global graphite market is projected to be a $50B market by 2031, growing at an 8.5% CAGR (Fact.MR). The US represents approximately 20-25% of the global market with batteries projected to represent 70% of the graphite market in 2030, vs 22% in 2020.

Hydrogen is a $125B market today, 95%+ of which is produced through CO₂-intensive steam methane reforming primarily for use in industrial and refining applications. The hydrogen market is expected to grow to $250B over the next 10 years, and has the potential to become approximately 10-15% of the total energy market ($1T+) by 2050 with an expected strengthening of global GHG emission standards and penalties for carbon emissions.

Technology:

SolGrapH’s technology solution involves a novel solar-thermal process, where sunlight is focused into a chemical reactor and achieves high-temperatures to decompose natural gas or methane into its primary elements of carbon and hydrogen. The process photo-thermally transforms the carbon in the source gas into a stable graphitic form that can be used in the production of Li-ion batteries, as well as modified for application in other high-value end uses such as silicon-graphite composites and carbon fiber weaves. The solar-driven process involves no metal catalyst and releases zero CO₂ emissions by capturing all the carbon that is typically released in industrial processes and sequestering it into a high-value graphitic material, while also co-producing a high-yield stream of hydrogen gas.

Advantages:

  • Uniquely produces highly graphitic carbon
  • Produces no CO₂ emissions
  • Auto-catalytic (no metal catalyst)
  • Complete and localized carbon capture

Development Stage:

  • Prototype

Patents Issued:

  • "Gaseous hydrocarbon self-catalyzing solar reforming and solid carbon deposition" (2021), US63/185,144
  • "Apparatus and method for gaseous hydrocarbon self-catalyzation, reforming, and solid carbon deposition" (2022), PCT/US22/72137
  • "Fibrous core-shell silicon-graphite" (2022), US63/371,356
  • "Fibrous core-shell silicon-carbon structures" (2023), PCT/US23/72082

Select Publications:

Contact:

Website: www.solgraph.com

Back to Top
Current Portfolio Companies