Peninsula Mines Ltd (ASX:PSM) has launched a program to test value-added processing of very high-purity spherical graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries.
The program will test graphite bulk samples from the company’s Eunha Graphite Project and possibly the Gapyeong project, both in South Korea.
Testing is designed to meet end-user specifications and demand in South Korea, which is one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery markets.
READ: Peninsula Mines targets value-added strategy for graphite supply to the Korean battery sector
Managing director Jon Dugdale said: “Peninsula is pursuing a strategy to mine and process graphite concentrate then produce high-purity, value-added, spherical graphite.”
Although South Korea is a significant producer of lithium-ion batteries, most downstream graphite products, including spherical graphite for battery anodes, is predominantly from China.
Peninsula has identified the opportunity to mine and process graphite to produce value-added spherical graphite locally.
READ: Peninsula Mines looks to shore up graphite offtake agreements with Korean end-users
It would then directly supply lithium-ion battery manufacturers and other graphite end-users in-country.
Independent Metallurgical Operations (IMO) has been appointed to manage the integrated metallurgical testing program.
High-grade TGC results
Peninsula has initiated the program after receiving high-grade total graphitic carbon (TGC) results averaging 7.6% TGC from Eunha metallurgical samples.
These samples will be added to the bulk composite that produced the initial, high-purity, concentrate results of 97.6% TGC.
IMO will then generate a high-purity concentrate sample of at least 5 kilograms for downstream spherical graphite test work.
This will be sent to a German firm specialising in spherical graphite process development and engineering which will undertake micronisation and spheroidisation of flake graphite.
The next stage of the process involves purification of the spherical graphite targeting greater than 99.95% TGC purity followed by electrochemical (battery) testing.
This final stage will potentially be carried out in collaboration with Australia’s CSIRO.
Encouraging Gapyeong results
Peninsula has also received very high-grade results averaging 17.5% TGC from samples collected for metallurgical testing from its Gapyeong project.
IMO will composite these samples to produce a bulk-sample of at least 100 kilograms for initial batch testing before further processing to produce a second sample for spherical graphite testing.
Drilling and channel sampling
The initial value-added processing test program involving Eunha samples will be carried out in parallel with drilling and channel sampling to generate maiden graphite resources.
Drilling access has been achieved for Eunha North and is close to being finalised for the Roadhouse area with drilling planned to start in mid to late-May.
Channel sampling is also progressing to determine the width, grade and orientation of the graphitic unit(s).
Peninsula and its subsidiaries have tenements and tenement applications in South Korea with fine to large and jumbo flake graphite identified.