Leading Edge Materials Corp's (CVE:LEM, OTCQB:LEMIF) updated on more test results based on the feed from its Woxna graphite mine in Sweden.
Woxna is a fully constructed mine, with all processing, waste management and infrastructure in place. During 2017, its operating licence was extended until 2041.
LEM is now completing additional testwork for the thermal purification of graphite at the in-house laboratory of a large European company, it said.
The current program has been highly instructive in defining the process conditions that achieve purities from 98% to 99.99%, the firm said.
Encouraging results
Encouragingly, Leading Edge said that based on testwork to date, purity up to the highest-value nuclear materials (99.999%) can be achieved using Woxna graphite and a thermal purification system.
Leading Edge Materials has tested both chemical and thermal graphite purification technologies and both have achieved battery-grade material purity.
As reported earlier this month, test work involving spheronisation is ongoing. Spheronisation is a milling and shaping process to reduce the size of graphite flakes while shaping the flakes in an elongate spheroid, which has shown positive results.
Work continues
Samples used for the current test programme were surplus spheronised feedstock with a carbon grade of approximately 94%. The test programme continues, and further results are expected next month.
"Our purification and spheronisation test program is delivering the data required for a trade-off study and the subsequent design of the Woxna battery graphite demonstration plant," said Blair Way, president and chief executive.
"The company looks forward to supplying large quantities of graphite from our demonstration plant to prospective European battery customers to robustly compare with the Asian-sourced natural and synthetic graphite anode used by industry today."
LEM shares in Toronto added 4.82% to C$0.435.