Flinders Resources Ltd (CVE:FDR) has reached a major milestone - the production of graphene for the first time using graphite concentrate from its Woxna mine in Sweden.
It comes after the firm's Woxna subsidiary was chosen last year to take part in Svenskt Grafen (in English, Swedish Graphene) - a US$280,000 program funded by the Swedish government to research and commercialise the production of graphene in Sweden.
The test work was completed at bench-scale test levels at partner 2D Fab AB's facilities in Sweden - a firm spun off from Mittuniversitetet (Mid Sweden University).
The graphene was produced using 2D Fab's proprietary manufacturing technology which uses a low-energy, hydro-mechanical exfoliation process to produce high-conductivity graphene.
Sven Forsberg, founder and managing director of 2D Fab AB, said: "The large size of natural graphite flakes in Woxna concentrate, combined with a gentle energy-efficient exfoliation process, are the keys to producing customer-tailored, molecular-thick graphene, with superior electrical conductivity and barrier properties.
"Additionally, the potential competitive advantage for these graphene products is that the graphitic raw material comes from a sustainable European Union source."
Much has been written about the extraordinary and almost transparent graphene. It is about 100 times stronger than the strongest steel and can conduct heat and electricity. Applications include electrodes in energy storage, barriers in plastics, conductive inks and coatings.
Flinders and partners are ensuring the graphene meets specific customer requirements.
Flinders's 100-per-cent-owned Woxna mine and concentrator in Sweden is the only publicly listed modern full-scale, fully permitted (100,000-tonne-per-annum feed) operational graphite production facility.
This facility has been commissioned and remains in a production-ready state until refractory-grade graphite concentrate demand increases.
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