Leading Edge Materials Reports Optimized Spheronising Test Results from Woxna Graphite Project, Sweden
Leading Edge Materials Reports Optimized
Spheronising Test Results from Woxna
Graphite Project, Sweden
VANCOUVER
,
Oct. 22, 2018
/CNW/ -
Leading Edge Materials Corp.
("
Leading Edge Materials
"
or the
"Company
") (
TSXV: LEM
) (
Nasdaq First North: LEMSE
) (
OTCQB: LEMIF
) is pleased to
provide results from additional spheronisation test work undertaken on graphite from the Woxna
graphite mine in
Sweden
. Woxna is a fully constructed mine, with all processing, waste management
and infrastructure in place. During 2017, Woxna was granted an extension of its operating license
until 2041.
As previously disclosed (
5
th
July 2018
), Leading Edge Materials is undertaking research and
development activities to support the design and installation of a Battery Graphite Demonstration
Plant at the Woxna mine site. The Demonstration Plant will have the capacity to supply meaningful
(100's of kgs) quantities of lithium ion battery anode material to prospective industrial customers.
To facilitate process, trade off and equipment selection decisions, the Company is presently
undertaking comparative spheronising work programs. Latest results are very promising, having
demonstrated process repeatability, while providing further insight into product yield and costs. The
average yield to anode material achieved in the test program was 57.7%, significantly higher than
prior assumptions with further yield gains possible in a future commercial operation.
More than 10 kgs of spheronised material was produced, which will be purified to battery grade and
used in lithium ion battery cell testing. As Leading Edge Materials is a member of the EU Battery
Alliance, the Company has access to a comprehensive customer network, which is being used to
deliver European sourced natural graphite anode material for testing by the emerging European
battery industry.
Scanning Electron Microscope imagery of the spheronised product (Figure 1) shows grain
morphology to be well rounded, smooth and without particle agglomeration, in line with current
commercial natural graphite anode products.
In addition, new markets are being sought for the fine by-product material from the spheronising
process, including as feed to graphene production under the recently announced (
3
rd
October, 2018
)
collaboration with Graphmatech AB.
Leading Edge Materials' market research amongst lithium ion battery manufacturers has shown that
product specifications vary substantially in 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. Presently, all natural graphite anode used
for lithium ion batteries is sourced from Chinese mines, and supply from the Woxna mine in
Sweden
will provide European customers with the highest degree of product flexibility, transparency and
sustainability.
Blair Way
, President and CEO, stated "
This spheronising optimization research using commercial
equipment has produced excellent graphite grain morphology, in line with similar products that are
consumed by the lithium ion battery industry today. This work is providing the bank of data
required for design of the Woxna Battery Graphite Demonstration Plant which will allow customer
qualification of both our anode manufacturing process and the anode product".
Test programs are continuing, and further spheronizing and purification results are expected next
month.
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
Figure 1 - SEM image of spheronised graphite particles (CNW Group/Leading Edge Materials)
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. Mangold Fondkommission AB is the Company's Certified Adviser
("
CA
") as part of the listing requirements for Nasdaq First North.
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 CA on
Nasdaq First North and may be contacted at +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 22-OCT-18