Goldcore Resources Ltd (CVE:GEM) (OTCMKTS:CZSVF) (FRA:BR2P) said it has hired Base Metallurgical Laboratories Ltd to produce 1,000 kilograms of graphite concentrate from material taken from the company's Quebec project.
The aim is that the concentrate will then undergo testing, particularly to assess its use for lithium-ion battery anode materials.
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"I am very pleased to have engaged Base Metallurgical Labs to process the graphite that we have collected over the past four years to concentrate 1000kg of high-grade Graphite," said Thomas Yingling, the firm's CEO in a statement.
"Tests undertaken to date have shown excellent expandability characteristics, ready amenability for purification to 99.95% using a standard alkaline process, and that a high proportion of large flake graphite that is amenable to spheroidization is present.
"Being able to send 15 kg parcels of the company's High Grade Graphite is one of the key steps to potentially securing an offtake agreement with a Lithium Ion Battery manufacturer and or other consumers of Graphite," Yingling added.
Goldcore previously sent Berkwood project 97.8% graphite concentrate to ProGraphite where it was readily purified to 99.95%.
"The near term plan is to have Base Met repeat the process with more core and channel sample material, and then to send the concentrate to ProGraphite to purify to 99.95, make spherical graphite and coat the graphite for application in the anode components of test batteries," the company noted.
Goldcore said it continues to receive "abundant interest" in further study of the Berkwood project product from graphite users and trade experts to further demonstrate the applications to which it will be most suited, it added.
Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com