Caltex You have got the most relevant poinst here.Even for the...

Caltex
You have got the most relevant poinst here.Even for the traditional market like refractory , recarburiser , brake pad market the qualification process is long and going through a number of stage gate processes ( from small 1 kg lab sample through to commercial in plant sample 1kg through to 1 container load) and this will take up at least a year long of trialing program. Don't mention about battery anode material ( spherical graphite)this will take even longer time of not less than 2-3 years to qualify. Qualification is even more intense.
Qualification is neither as simple as whether it has reached the right grade ( eg 95% LOI min) it also required to meet particle size distribution such as limit of upper size and the ultrafine (-325 mesh) for certain product sizes ( eg +80# product , +100 mesh product etc)
Different market segment will have different requirement in both quality and size distribution.
Processing of flake graphite looks simple as generally thought but without the real understanding of its physical and its mineral & chemical performance characteristic which then impacted the selection of the relevant plant process equipment. Selection of the incorrect plant equipment can be disastrous.