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Texas startups make products from the carbon in fossil fuels

As consumption of fossil fuels continues to rise, technologies developed by companies in Texas could help change the view of carbon as a hard-to-manage waste product.

Patrick Hanks, chief technology officer of Graphitic Energy, pats the carbon formation vessel on the company’s San Antonio pilot project, which pulls solid carbon graphite out of methane gas.

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Rather than CO2 gas, Graphitic Energy's project produces carbon as a solid black powder that can be made into graphite, a critical mineral.

Carbon capture isn’t widely used

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Patrick Hanks, chief technology officer of Graphitic Energy, leads a tour of the company's pilot plant in San Antonio on June 25, 2025.

Where the magic happens


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