International Graphite Ltd (ASX:IG6, FRA:H99, OTC:IGRPF) has delivered a fresh set of high-grade purification results from test work conducted with partner Alkeemia, reinforcing the technical and commercial case for its planned European graphite processing hub.
The latest results show all seven graphite concentrate samples tested exceeded the company’s target purity level of 99.9% total graphitic carbon (TGC), with several achieving up to 99.98% purity. These outcomes build on earlier work and further validate the hydrofluoric acid (HF)-based purification process that will support the proposed joint venture facility in Italy.
The test work was carried out at Alkeemia’s specialist laboratories in Porto Marghera, Venice, where the companies are advancing plans for a 51:49 joint venture to develop a graphite processing hub. That initiative, first flagged in late March, is central to International Graphite’s strategy to establish a vertically integrated, globally relevant supply chain spanning mine to advanced graphite products.
Inspecting ALKEEMIA’s base in Porto Marghera, Italy, home of the new graphite processing joint venture.
Consistent high-purity outcomes across multiple sources
The latest program assessed graphite concentrates from a mix of sources, including International Graphite’s Springdale project in Western Australia, as well as material from African and European suppliers.
Results demonstrated strong consistency across varying flake sizes and feedstocks, with purification levels ranging from around 99.91% to 99.98% TGC depending on sample type and origin.
Purification results provided by ALKEEMIA
The ability to achieve such high purities across diverse inputs is a key technical milestone, supporting the flexibility of the proposed processing hub.
Purification results provided by ALKEEMIA (continued)
Management highlighted that this flexibility would enable the operation to treat third-party feedstock in addition to its own material, helping diversify supply and reduce upstream risk.
The use of HF-based purification is also significant. While the reagent is well established in industrial graphite processing, it remains the only commercially proven method at scale for achieving the ultra-high purities required for applications such as battery anodes and expandable graphite products.
Supporting a scalable European processing platform
The test work results feed directly into development planning for the Porto Marghera facility, where Alkeemia is targeting an initial industrial purification capacity of around 200 tonnes per year, ramping up to 20,000 tonnes per year by 2030.
International Graphite has been allocated up to 50% of the start-up capacity and is seeking to expand its share as throughput increases. At the same time, both parties are progressing site layouts, engineering design and cost estimates, alongside negotiations for key commercial agreements.
The companies are also working to secure feedstock supply, with discussions under way with multiple graphite concentrate producers, as well as advanced negotiations with a European sales partner.
Building momentum behind integrated strategy
The latest results add further momentum to International Graphite’s broader strategy, which has increasingly focused on downstream processing and value-added products rather than simply raw material supply.
The company has been steadily advancing a strategy focused on building a capital-efficient global processing footprint, building on earlier success in producing high-purity graphite through test work programs. The Alkeemia partnership represents a major step in translating that technical progress into commercial-scale operations within Europe.
With demand for battery-grade graphite and industrial carbon products continuing to grow, particularly across Europe’s energy transition supply chains, the ability to reliably produce ultra-high-purity material at scale will be critical.
These latest results suggest International Graphite is moving closer to demonstrating that capability — not just in the lab, but in a form that could underpin a flexible, multi-source processing hub in one of the world’s key end markets.
IG6: Building a global graphite production company