Synthetic graphite electrode prices rose nine-fold through the...

Synthetic graphite electrode prices rose nine-fold through the first three quarters of 2017, increasing from $US1748/t in January 2017 to a high of $US16,309/t in September.
Despite some fall back during the winter months, prices remained above $US15,600/t through February and March 2018.
The electric arc furnace (EAF) steel industry is the main user of graphite electrodes and global EAF output has strengthened since 2015 with the increasing availability of scrap steel in China and other Asian countries.
China produces just 6 per cent of its steel by EAF, compared to a global average of 25 per cent, but EAF production is likely to see a robust rise as China pushes to lower industrial pollution and improve recycling rates.
The adoption of EAF capacity will be boosted by the 2017 closure of all Chinese induction furnaces that produced poor quality steel based on steel scrap, resulting in larger amounts of steel scrap becoming available for use in EAFs, and by China’s increasing environmental taxes for traditional steelmaking methods. This will boost demand for graphite electrodes in the Chinese market.

https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/rise-another-battery-metal-graphite/