Leading Edge Materials’ Woxna Graphite Targets Premium Applications with Confirmation of Purification Route
NEWS RELEASE June 9, 2026
LEADING EDGE MATERIALS CORP.
14th Floor 1040 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 4H1
[email protected] | www.leadingedgematerials.com
TSX.V: LEM | Nasdaq First North: LEMSE | OTCQB: LEMIF | FRA: 7FL
LEADING EDGE MATERIALS’ WOXNA GRAPHITE TARGETS PREMIUM APPLICATIONS WITH
CONFIRMATION OF PURIFICATION ROUTE
• Flotation testwork produced a high-grade concentrate with 94% carbon purity retaining more than
half of all particles as large flakes - a strong result for premium graphite applications and an
important indicator of commercial potential.
• A simple, industrially practical two -stage alkaline process (without an energy -intensive pre -
heating step) achieved 99.96% LOI ( loss on ignition) — making it the preferred route for
commercial scale-up to meet high-end industrial specifications.
• Testwork was conducted on historical stockpiled material that showed signs of oxidation, which
is known to reduce flotation performance. Fresh ore is expected to perform better.
Vancouver, June 9, 2026 – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials” or the “Company”)
(TSXV: LEM) (Nasdaq First North: LEMSE) (OTCQB: LEMIF) provides an update on testwork completed
on ore sourced from the Company’s 100% owned Woxna Graphite Mine (“Woxna”). The programme was
designed to evaluate new processing techniques aimed at producing large -flake, high -purity flake
graphite concentrate suitable for premium industrial and battery applications.
Kurt Budge, Chief Executive Officer, writes:
"These results are an important step forward for Woxna. Achieving 99.96% purity through a
straightforward two-stage alkaline process — without energy-intensive pre-heating — demonstrates
that Woxna can produce battery and high-end industrial grade graphite through an industrially practical
and cost-effective route.
Equally encouraging is the large-flake retention from flotation, which is a key value driver for premium
applications. It is also worth noting that this testwork was conducted on historical stockpiled ore
showing signs of oxidation — conditions that are known to reduce flotation efficiency — so we have good
reason to expect even stronger performance from freshly mined material. Taken together, these results
meaningfully reinforce our confidence in Woxna's commercial potential.
With global demand for natural flake graphite forecast by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence to more than
double by 2035, and a supply deficit in battery -grade material already beginning to emerge, the timing
for advancing Woxna toward production could not be more compelling. Europe needs a domestic,
responsibly sourced graphite supply chain, and Woxna is one of very few assets on the continent capable
of delivering it."
Milling and Flotation Testwork
Woxna ore was processed using VeRoLiberator® ("VeRo") milling equipment across a range of settings to
assess whether the method could liberate graphite while preserving intact large flakes. Specialist
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contractor ProGraphite then conducted a testing programme evaluating VeRo performance, followed by
limited flotation and purification trials.
Milling tests were conducted using VeRo technology, which achieves high levels of graphite liberation in
a single pass, using significantly less energy than conventional methods and operating dry. Six tests were
performed across a range of settings to identify conditions that retain large flake size while achieving
sufficient liberation.
The milled products were sent to ProGraphite for analysis and characterization. Clear differences were
observed between VeRo settings, with samples varying significantly in particle size distribution —
including flake size — and degree of liberation. Further optimisation work is planned to establish the
ideal settings for commercial -scale production. In addition to particle size analysis, samples were
examined using optical microscopy, SEM and MLA. The MLA results were particularly informative
regarding lib eration, though mineral composition varied slightly between samples; the principal
components were consistent across all.
ProGraphite then conducted flotation testing, beginning with a flash flotation approach that produced a
concentrate with an LOI of 94%. Performance was below expectations based on historical data, with a
notable proportion of graphite reporting to the scavenging stage after rougher flotation. This is attributed
to two factors: the ore not being freshly mined, and the VeRo settings having been configured to
prioritize flake size retention over maximum liberation.
Nonetheless, the flotation test demonstrated that a relatively coarse, large -flake concentrate can be
produced from the ore, achieving a flake content of over 50% at an LOI of 94%. Higher purity is attainable,
though likely at the cost of some reduction in particle size.
Purification Testwork
ProGraphite conducted a series of purification trials on the flotation concentrate to evaluate the
effectiveness of different purification methods and process conditions. Methods tested included alkaline
purification — using either HCl or H₂SO₄ as the acid component — and hydrofluoric acid (HF) purification,
with additional investigation into the influence of pre-heating and process temperature.
The initial alkaline purification campaign established that HCl alone, Test 1A, yields only moderate purity
in a single stage, achieving LOI values of 97. 65% and necessitating a second purification step to exceed
99%.
Pre-heating the concentrate to 300 –400 °C prior to purification significantly reduced sulphur levels,
though it produced an anticipated increase in iron content . The best overall results were achieved
through a two -stage process combining a sodium hydroxide bake with subsequent HCl leaching - the
highest LOI value of the entire test series at 99.99% , Test 2B. Without the energy-intensive preheating
step, an LOI of 99.96% with similar impurity profiles , was achieved making Test 1B interesting for an
industrial process.
While the findings are preliminary and further optimization work is planned, they support the technical
viability of a Woxna restart and provide a solid foundation for ongoing engineering and process
development studies. The Company intends to assess whether an updated PEA is warranted as this work
progresses.
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Table above: Results of Alkaline Purification I – Trials 1A/1B (NaOH/HCl, unheated),and 2A/2B
(NaOH/HCl, heated); impurity levels in ppm
Natural Flake Graphite - Outlook
According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, global demand for natural flake graphite is forecast to
more than double within a decade — rising from approximately 1.2 million tonnes in 2025 to nearly 3
million tonnes by 2035 — driven by the rapid expansion of electric vehicle production and battery energy
storage.
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Benchmark projects a persistent supply shortfall in the -100 mesh, 94–95% carbon segment, the
preferred feedstock for battery applications, with the deficit beginning now and growing to almost 1
million tonnes by 2040.
Against this backdrop, the geographic concentration of production — with China accounting for the vast
majority of global natural flake graphite supply and controlling almost all anode refining capacity — has
prompted downstream battery manufacturers and automakers to accelerate diversification of their
supply chains.
Woxna, as one of Europe's few fully permitted and production-ready natural flake graphite operations,
is strategically positioned to meet growing regional demand for responsibly sourced, low-carbon
graphite — offering European battery and industrial customers a credible, sovereign alternative to
Chinese supply.
Qualified Person Statement
The technical information related to the Woxna Graphite project in this announcement has been
reviewed and verified by Mr. Christopher Stinton of Zenito Limited, BSc (Hons), CEng MIMMM, an
independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43 -101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Mr. Stinton is an employee of Zenito Limited which provides technical consulting services in relation to
the Company’s Woxna Graphite project.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Leading Edge Materials Corp.
Kurt Budge, CEO
For further information, please contact the Company at:
1.778-686-5357
www.leadingedgematerials.com
About Leading Edge Materials
Leading Edge Materials is a Canadian public company focused on developing a portfolio of critical raw
material projects located in the European Union. Critical raw materials are determined as such by the
European Union based on their economic importance an d supply risk. They are directly linked to high
growth technologies such as lithium -ion batteries and permanent magnets for electric motors, wind
turbines and defence applications. The Company’s portfolio of projects includes the 100% owned Woxna
Graphite mine (Sweden), 100% owned Norra Kärr Heavy Rare Earth Elements project (Sweden), and the
90% owned Bihor Sud Nickel Cobalt exploration alliance (Romania).
Additional Information
The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above,
on June 9, 2026, at 11:30 PM Vancouver time.
Leading Edge Materials is listed on the TSXV under the symbol “LEM”, OTCQB under the symbol “LEMIF”
and Nasdaq First North Stockholm under the symbol “LEMSE”. Svensk Kapitalmarknadsgranskning
(“SKMG”) is the Company’s Certified Adviser for the Nasdaq First North Growth Market (Stockholm) and
may be contacted via email [email protected] or by phone +46 (0)8 913 008.
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