Strategic Elements Ltd (ASX:SOR) is a unique ASX-listed company given its focus on both new printable memory technology and conglomerate-hosted gold exploration in the Pilbara.
On the technology side, the company aims to commercialise its printable nanocube memory ink, a breakthrough memory technology that can be printed onto a variety of surfaces and is flexible and transparent.
Regarding minerals exploration, the company has a number of core tenements in Western Australia with a focus on conglomerate-hosted gold in the West Pilbara region.
Initial exploration commenced In Pilbara
Strategic completed initial fieldwork in August 2018 targeting conglomerate-hosted and alluvial gold at three projects in the West Pilbara.
Exploration at the Rocklea Dome, Milli Milli Dome, and Bellary Dome projects included mapping, sampling and metal detecting.
READ: Strategic Elements completes fieldwork at three Pilbara gold projects
The company holds eight exploration licence applications in the west Pilbara specifically targeting conglomerate gold.
The projects contain over 70 strike kilometres of lower Fortescue Group rocks including both the Hardey Formation and the Mount Roe Basalt.
These units elsewhere in the Pilbara have been identified by Novo Resources Corp (CVE:NVO) to be associated with conglomerate style gold.
Novo has been a pioneer in the recent conglomerate-hosted gold discoveries in the Pilbara, which has helped grow its market cap since 2017 by around 10x.
READ: Strategic Elements throws hat in ring for conglomerate-hosted gold tenements
During July 2018, the company entered a formal ballot process to apply for two additional areas prospective for conglomerate-hosted gold in the East Pilbara region.
Comparisons to South Africa’s Witwatersrand Basin
The Witwatersrand Basin is the largest known gold province in the world and it has produced about one-third of all gold mined in the world.
Experts believe the Hardey Formation in the Pilbara is considered to be the equivalent rock as the Witwatersand.
Conglomerate-hosted gold discoveries in 2017 have seen exploration companies flock to the basin and investors keen to support exploration in the area.
Nanocube Memory Ink targeting multi-billion dollar market
The Nanocube Memory Ink is a liquid transparent ink containing billions of tiny nanometer scale cube-shaped particles.
When printed on a surface and assembled with electrodes they operate as computer memory or RAM.
This revolutionary ink is transparent and when printed on glass or plastics is entirely see-through.
This technology targets the global multi-billion dollar printed electronics market opportunity.
It has the potential to enable massive amounts of data to be stored and retrieved in printed electronics circuits for computer and data storage requirements.
Invented at the University of New South Wales
The Nanocube Memory Ink was invented at the University of New South Wales by a team led by Professor Sean Li from the School of Materials Science and Engineering.
READ: Strategic Elements’ memory ink research supported by government funding
The company is working with the CSIRO in Australia and VTT Finland in Finland to develop and commercialise the technology.
Strategic is also is a participant in PrintoCent, a consortium of billion-dollar printed electronic companies and a select group of international start-ups.
The objective is to create new components, products and solutions based on printed electronics.
Positive results from first stage program with CSIRO
Strategic completed a successful scale-up of production volumes of the Nanocube Memory Ink in October 2017.
A large-scale batch of Nanocube Memory Ink was produced with about 400 times the volume of previous batches.
The positive outcome of the first stage of the program as enabled CSIRO to agree to continue development of the Nanocube Memory Ink through a secondary program.