Chinese crackdown on Graphite & acid purification processes
New environmental laws are set to come into effect in early 2018. They are going after the acid purification processes used in the production of synthetic graphite etc.
https://roskill.com/news/fluorspar-graphite-chinese-government-calling-feedback-july-2017-new-environmental-laws/
It now looks as though they are making an early start on the clean up.
https://www.indmin.com/Article/3745332/Graphite-LatestNews/Stricter-inspections-in-China-force-graphite-prices-up.html
Alabama does not use acid and Baxter pointed this out in Feb 2017.
https://www.financialpost.com/news/mining/releases/preview.html?id=10107
in which he stated the following:
it is important to note that AGC's environmentally responsible and sustainable graphite purification process does not utilize acids that are commonly regarded as dangerous and environmentally harmful (e.g. hydrofluoric acid - as is commonly used in Chinese graphite production [source: Industrial Minerals Data, 2015] - hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acids, or alkali roasting, caustic-soda roasting, etc.), nor the need for copious amounts of scarce, clean water or costly, energy-intensive high-temperature thermal upgrading.