At the 2025 R&D 100 Awards in Scottsdale, Arizona, we caught up with the National Energy Technology Laboratory team behind PLUS-Graphite. The technology converts polyethylene waste into high-performance synthetic graphite for lithium-ion batteries.
Dr. Pangjali Mule, Ashra and Shinway represented NETL on the red carpet, where they reflected on what winning the “Oscar of Innovation” means for their work. “It does mean a lot of opportunities for collaboration, for pushing our technology out into the world for real-life marketing,” Mule said.
The innovation addresses two challenges at once: diverting plastic waste from landfills and oceans while creating a domestic supply chain for synthetic graphite, a critical material in EV batteries and energy storage systems.
What makes the achievement even more notable: NETL’s Carbon Materials Manufacturing Team developed PLUS-Graphite in less than 24 months on a total budget of just $350,000, funded through the lab’s internal research and development program.
When asked what existing innovation they wish they had created, Ashra pointed right back to their own mission: “We want to see how we can recycle plastics, all the waste, and try to produce something that’s worth for the world.”
The team gave shoutouts to their colleagues back at NETL. Watch the full interview below:
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