Leading Edge Materials Signs Letter of Intent With Graphmatech AB To Develop Graphene Production Joint Venture in Sweden
Leading Edge Materials Signs Letter of Intent With Graphmatech AB To
Develop Graphene Production Joint Venture in Sweden
VANCOUVER
,
Oct. 3, 2018
/CNW/ -
Leading Edge Materials Corp.
("
Leading Edge Materials
") or ("
the "Company
") (
TSXV:LEM
) (
Nasdaq First North:
LEMSE
) (
OTCQB: LEMIF
) is pleased to report the signing of a non-binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") with private Swedish company Graphmatech AB
("Graphmatech"). The LOI defines a pathway to form a binding Joint Venture ("the Joint Venture") between the companies to produce graphene at Leading Edge
Material's Woxna graphite mine.
Graphmatech has developed Aros Graphene®, which prevents the agglomeration of graphene flakes. Aros Graphene® can be therefore be mixed into metals,
polymers and fluids without the loss of graphene's thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. Graphmatech co-develops products containing Aros Graphene®
with industrial partners in the materials, energy, telecommunication and engineering sectors.
Leading Edge Materials and Graphmatech have independently produced graphene as proof of concept from Woxna graphite. Following additional research, the
Joint Venture envisages co-investment in the scale up of graphene production using Woxna graphite, to supply both Graphmatech and third parties should surplus
material be available. It is anticipated that the Woxna mine site will be the operating location, using proprietary graphite pre-treatment and exfoliation technology
from Graphmatech.
The volume of material contemplated under the LOI is commercially significant to both parties. The prospective Joint Venture will provide Graphmatech with a
secure graphene source from a local, environmentally sustainable supplier. For Leading Edge Materials, the Joint Venture delivers the opportunity for additional
very high value add products manufactured from the Company's natural graphite.
Mamoun Taher
, CEO and Co-Founder of Graphmatech stated "Woxna, one of
Europe's
few fully built and permitted graphite mines, is remarkably close to our
research base in Uppsala. The proposed Graphmatech – Leading Edge Materials Joint Venture will construct a commercial graphite to graphene facility and
provide Graphmatech with the secure, sustainable, competitively priced graphene supply we will need for our business in commercial graphene-containing
products."
Mark Saxon
, Leading Edge Materials' co-founder and Director commented "We are excited to partner with Graphmatech. Their proprietary technology and close
industrial partnerships are key to the Joint Venture's success. The Joint Venture has potential for another very high value add product from Woxna graphite in
addition to battery anode materials."
Graphene is a two-dimensional, one atom thick carbon structure, produced by the removal (exfoliation) of a single flake from graphite. It is the strongest material
known, has extremely high electrical and thermal conductivity, is ultra-lightweight and transparent. Graphene is forecast to revolutionize materials engineering as
well as the power and electronics sectors, however industrial adoption has been slow since its first isolation in 2004 due to problems caused by agglomeration.
Graphmatech's Aros Graphene® technology has resolved this agglomeration issue.
On behalf of the Board,
"Blair Way"
Blair Way, President & CEO
Qualified Person
The qualified person for the Company's project, 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, has reviewed and verified the contents of this document.
About Graphmatech
Graphmatech is a privately held Swedish materials technology company that invents, develops and sells novel graphene-based composite materials and services.
We are on a mission to deliver truly world-changing graphene hybrid materials with the potential to make the world a better place.
www.graphmatech.com
Graphmatech is part of the InnoEnergy Highway and the ABB innovation growth hub, SynerLeap, and has received initial financing from the Swedish Innovation
Agency as well as the Swedish Energy Agency. The company recently closed a financing with new investors such as ABB Technology Ventures and Walerud
Ventures.
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
This information is inside information that Leading Edge Materials Corp. (publ). is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The
information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above, at
3 October, 2018
at 0615 Vancouver time.
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. Contact number for the Certified Advisers is +46 (0) 8 5030 1550.
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.
Forward-Looking Information. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements
should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include but are not limited
to, unexpected geological conditions; the Company's expectations regarding exploration activities to advance critical material projects for energy storage markets,
delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities. Although such statements are based on management's
reasonable assumptions, there are risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is
qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to
publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as
required by law.
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For further information:
Contact Details: LEADING EDGE MATERIALS CORP, Blair Way, President & CEO, +1.604.685.9316,
[email protected], www.leadingedgematerials.com; GRAPHMATECH AB, Mamoun Taher, CEO and Co-Founder, +46 73 551-3054,
[email protected], www.graphmatech.com
CO: Leading Edge Materials
CNW 09:26e 03-OCT-18