Graphite One Resources (
TSX: V.GPH,
Forum) launched a game-changing initiative today when the company announced that it had commenced product development test work to produce carbon-coated spherical graphite from STAX graphite sourced from the company’s Graphite Creek deposit located near Nome, Alaska.
According to the
news release, the work is expected to provide preliminary data on the milling and spheroidizing yields of STAX graphite, assess non-chemical methods for graphite purification, generate electrochemical performance data of spherical graphite in coin cells tests and generate exploratory samples for potential end-users.
Company CEO, Anthony Huston, commented, “With the United States presently 100% import-dependent for all of its graphite, reliable access to high-purity product will be a key factor in the United States' ability to build sustainable industries in clean-tech and other high-tech applications. With America's largest natural flake deposit, and the advanced processing capabilities we are now working towards validating, Graphite One is systematically developing critical components of a North American clean-energy supply chain.”
The process work, carried out by TRU Group in the U.S., is anticipated to produce lab-scale samples of carbon-coated spherical graphite for internal assessment of electrochemical performance and for potential end-user evaluation. The company expects to have produced samples within 5 to 6 weeks with the findings to be incorporated into the Preliminary Economic Assessment.
Huston summed up, “Production of carbon-coated spherical graphite will be a key step for us. As the green technology economy grows, driving continued adoption of electric vehicles and smart grid power storage devices, graphite will increasingly be a key material - a factor already present in rising demand projections.”
Graphite One Resources was in the news recently when
the Vancouver-based company announced a week ago that it had closed the second tranche of its recently announced non-brokered private placement financing.
Currently there are 204.7m outstanding shares with a market cap of $24.6 million.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Graphite One Resources is a Stockhouse Publishing client.