Key Highlights
Guangdong Zhongda Intelligent Technology (广东众大智能科技), a Chinese equipment manufacturer specialising in anode material production solutions, is promoting a new piece of equipment it calls the “Vertical Continuous Rotary Kiln” as a direct replacement for traditional batch-process vertical kettles widely used in synthetic graphite anode manufacturing.
According to Zhongda, the new kiln delivers meaningful improvements across three core metrics. Tap density reportedly reaches 1.15 and 1.07 post-graphitisation, up from around 0.95 in conventional vertical kettles, representing a 10–15% improvement. Oil absorption values drop to the 40–46 range (with tested results of 43.8 and 45.9), a significant reduction. Operating energy consumption is said to fall by approximately 30%, bringing per-tonne operating costs down to around ¥336/tonne (~$49/tonne).
The equipment uses what Zhongda describes as a “vertical plus horizontal” compound continuous granulation process, replacing the batch-by-batch approach of traditional vertical kettles. By maintaining continuous material flow through multiple precisely controlled temperature zones, the system aims to eliminate the thermal inconsistencies and batch-to-batch quality variation that plague conventional equipment. The vertical section operates at approximately 500°C and the high-temperature section at around 650°C, with total equipment power consumption rated at 850 kW. Each unit is rated at 12–15 tonnes per day of throughput.
Zhongda claims that for equivalent production capacity, adopting the continuous rotary kiln over multiple traditional vertical kettles can save 20–30% in initial capital expenditure.
Company Background
Guangdong Zhongda Intelligent Technology is a Guangdong-based high-tech enterprise providing integrated solutions for lithium-ion battery anode material production. Its product range covers graphitisation front-end integrated production lines, rotary kiln systems (for granulation, pre-carbonisation, and high-temperature carbonisation), and finished product conveying lines. The company claims cumulative annual shipment capacity exceeding 650,000 tonnes across its finished product line and production line conveying projects.
Note: All CNY figures converted to USD at an approximate rate of 1 USD = 6.89 CNY as of 21 March 2026.
Sources
Shimo Shixun (石墨时讯), “立式釜或被淘汰，负极生产黑科技来了”, WeChat, March 16, 2026.