Gratomic Inc told investors that it has signed a project agreement with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to evaluate the performance of spherical graphite samples extracted and supplied by Gratomic.
The company said the agreement will support the characterization of spherical graphite, a key component of Lithium-ion batteries.
The NRC is Canada's largest federal research and development organization, which offers a variety of services including expertise and infrastructure for clean and energy-efficient transportation applications. The tests will be performed at its laboratories in Boucherville, Quebec, Canada.
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As part of the project, Gratomic said the NRC will perform half-cell testing, a method of testing the viability of battery materials, in coin cells of coated anodes based on its spherical graphite samples, to measure the reversible capacity (the accumulation of surplus capacity) and the initial coulombic efficiency - the ratio of output versus input charge of a battery. It will provide a summary report with the test results for 10 different samples and each test result will be based on the average of six cells, the company added.
Phase one of the project consists of making and processing the electrodes, which involves a series of precision tasks. The second phase will focus on testing the anodes.
The company said it anticipates the graphite samples will perform well, with the project allowing a deeper understanding of the properties of its Aukam project graphite and its performance in lithium-ion batteries.
Gratomic is focused on becoming a leading global graphite supplier and aims to secure a strong position in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. It has projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com