932°F molten salt process turns thin air into solid graphite for EV battery components

Researchers from Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley, and an Estonian institute directly observed CO2 turning into solid carbon inside a hot molten-salt cell.

Using a custom high-temperature microscope setup, they found the reaction happens in two stages and that salt and electrode choices shape the carbon’s crystal structure.

The approach could convert captured carbon dioxide into useful graphite for EV batteries and other carbon materials.

If scaled and made more energy efficient, it could offer a lower-cost supply chain and a new path for carbon utilization.