Leading Edge Materials Completes Ultra High Purity Graphite Anode Testwork Program on Woxna Graphite
Leading Edge Materials Completes Ultra High
Purity Graphite Anode Testwork Program on
Woxna Graphite
VANCOUVER
,
Jan. 18, 2019
/CNW/ -
Leading Edge Materials Corp.
("
Leading Edge Materials
"
or the
"Company
") (
TSXV: LEM
) (
Nasdaq First North: LEMSE
) (
OTCQB: LEMIF
) is pleased to
provide a summary of test work conducted on graphite from the Company's 100% owned Woxna
mine in
Sweden
during 2018. With the test program complete, Leading Edge Materials will now
progress to an engineering study supporting the installation of a Battery Graphite Demonstration
Plant at the Woxna site. This demonstration plant, when installed, will enable process conditions to
be optimized and larger volumes of natural graphite anode material to be supplied to prospective
lithium ion battery customers.
Woxna is a fully constructed mine, with all processing, waste management and infrastructure in
place. During 2017, Woxna was granted an extension to its operating license until 2041.
During 2018, Leading Edge Materials completed research and development test work to enable
comparison of graphite process alternatives and support the design of a Battery Graphite
Demonstration Plant. Following a review of test work outcomes, the Leading Edge Materials Board
of Directors have approved completion of an engineering study to prepare for installation of the
demonstration plant at the Woxna facility.
Leading Edge Materials market research amongst lithium ion battery manufacturers has shown a
substantial range of product purity, particle size distribution and price expectations. As a result, a
high degree of process flexibility will be required to meet customer demands both now and as the
European lithium ion battery industry matures. The Battery Graphite Demonstration Plant is being
designed to ensure that samples will meet the specifications of customers in the battery and other
specialty graphite consuming industries.
The engineering study includes engagement with equipment suppliers to detail cost and ensure
scalability of key equipment. Operating parameters for the demonstration plant include:
thermal purification capacity up to 100kg's per day
spheronising capacity up to 250 kg's per day
laboratory equipment to facilitate in house analysis of products
Blair Way
, President and CEO, stated "
Our graphite processing research during 2018 has
delivered the dataset needed to progress to the design of the Woxna Battery Graphite
Demonstration Plant. The demonstration plant will allow us to optimize flowsheets before
committing to mine-scale investments, bring processing expertise in house, and enable deeper
customer engagement through the supply of hundreds of kilograms of natural graphite anode for
in-line testing and qualification."
R&D Program Results
Ultra High Purity Graphite
Following graphite purification test work completed in early 2017, the Company engaged an
independent European laboratory to complete a comparative thermal purification program on
graphite from Woxna to define optimum time and temperature scenarios. Test work was designed
to achieve ultra high purity with the lowest possible energy requirements.
The test program demonstrated a close relationship between furnace temperature, purity, and
sample mass, with a lower impact from heating duration. Table 1 below demonstrates time and
temperature relationships where an upper purity of 99.998%C was achieved from an original 92%C
feed. The process is highly selective, and at operational scale the exact purity requirements of
individual customers will be achievable at the lowest possible cost. Cost effective selective purity
will enable Leading Edge Materials to access not only anode customers but other graphite markets
including graphene, insulation and conductive inks.
Purification of natural graphite to battery anode grade is traditionally undertaken in
China
by
chemical leaching. This process emits substantial waste streams that require treatment or disposal
that creates a potential future legacy for the lithium ion battery industry. Furthermore, purity above
99.95% carbon is challenging to achieve with chemical leaching, which limits the capacity of natural
graphite to compete on performance with the synthetic graphite currently favored by the automotive
battery industry. Thermal purification, as proposed by Leading Edge Materials, utilizing low cost,
low carbon emission hydroelectric power is a sustainable and cost-effective way to purify natural
graphite to levels comparative with synthetic graphite. Research indicates that ultra-high purity
natural graphite can be a lower cost and lower carbon footprint substitute for Chinese manufactured
synthetic graphite.
Figure 1: % Graphitic Carbon Content Achieved in 2018 Thermal Test Program
TEMPERATURE
LOWER
HIGHER
TIME
SHORTER
99.950
99.994
99.995
99.998
98.270
98.610
99.973
99.996
99.998
96.830
98.350
98.990
99.986
99.997
LONGER
98.330
99.470
Spheronising
As previously reported (
Oct 22, 2018
) the Company has undertaken a range of spheronising test
programs during 2018. Four independent service providers were engaged to undertake tests
utilizing spheronising equipment of three different styles. Test programs were designed to measure
the capacity of each equipment to produce the particle size distribution profile essential for anode
battery materials, and to achieve the highest possible recovery to anode.
The test work undertaken during 2018 demonstrated the operational merits of the various
equipment, achieved recovery from 43% to 71%, and provided D50 size ranges from 15-25 micron
with D10 ranges of 7-12 micron and D90 from 28-35 micron. These ranges meet specifications
provided by potential customers.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Mr.
Blair Way
, B.Sc.
(Geology) M.B.A., a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Company's
President and CEO and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Leading Edge Materials Corp.
Mr.
Blair Way
, President and CEO
About Leading Edge Materials
Leading Edge Materials is a Canadian public company focused on production of high value critical
raw materials for the European market, with an operating base in the Nordic region, a region well
recognized for its promotion and investment in innovation. LEM's flagship asset is the Woxna
Graphite production facility located in central
Sweden
targeting the supply of specialty materials for
lithium ion battery production. LEM's assets and research focus are towards the raw materials for
Li-ion batteries (graphite, lithium, cobalt); materials for high thermal efficiency building products
(graphite, silica, nepheline); and materials that improve the efficiency of energy generation
(dysprosium, neodymium, hafnium). Investments are linked to the global shift to low-carbon energy
generation and energy storage. Leading Edge Materials currently operate in four divisions, Graphite,
Lithium, Rare Earth and Cobalt.
Additional Information
Leading Edge Materials is listed on the TSXV under the symbol "LEM" and Nasdaq First North
Stockholm under the symbol " LEMSE". Mangold Fondkommission AB is the Company's Certified
Adviser on Nasdaq First North and may be contacted via email
or by phone +46
(0) 8 5030 1550.
Reader Advisory
This news release may contain
statements which constitute "
forward-looking information
",
including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and
current expectations
of the
Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company.
The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate",
"expect" and similar expressions,
as
they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended
to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking
statements are not
guarantees of future
business activities and
involve risks
and
uncertainties
,
and
that
the Company's future business activities
may
differ
materially from those
in the forward-
looking
statements
as a result of various factors, including,
but not limited to,
fluctuations in market
prices, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing
and general economic, market or business
conditions
. There can be no assurances that such
information
will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation
of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume
any obligation to update any forward-looking
information except as required
under the applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in
the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this news release.
SOURCE
Leading Edge Materials
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For further information:
please contact the Company at: 1.604.685.9316,
[email protected], www.leadingedgematerials.com
CO: Leading Edge Materials
CNW 08:30e 18-JAN-19