Huge news on testing this morning
Energizer Resources Inc. (TSX:EGZ) (OTCQX:ENZR) (FWB:YE5) (“Energizer” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has achieved an ultra-high purity of greater than 99.9% carbon using glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS) analysis on purified graphite concentrate from its 100% owned Molo Graphite Project in Madagascar.
GDMS testing is one of the most advanced chemical analysis methods available to analyze purity levels of a large number of elements for commercial purposes and provides the highest level of confidence in reported purity values.
The objective of this advanced chemical test was to quantify concentrations of impurities remaining in the purified Molo graphite concentrate and to provide analytical results with lower relative errors than can be achieved using conventional analytical methods, such as combustion infrared detection (e.g. LECO).
To the best of our knowledge, Energizer is one of only two companies in the graphite space that has employed this highest standard of assay testing on its finished concentrate to verify an ultra-high purity result of greater than 99.9% carbon.
Craig Scherba, President and COO, stated, “We are pleased to reconfirm that our Molo graphite can achieve an ultra-high purity of greater than 99.9% carbon under the most stringent of testing protocols. Energizer will use these results to facilitate the advancement of agreements with potential off take partners”.
The Company is currently in discussions with a number of potential off take partners and, as recently reported, is on track to place several tonnes of finished graphite concentrate into their hands for evaluation by the end of November.
Test results using this method are of particular importance to graphite manufacturers and producers, as it provides them with the ability to quantify impurities at trace concentrations in high-purity advanced inorganic solids and to quantify concentrations of over 70 major elements in a single analysis.
Since the GDMS analysis includes almost all of the commonly occurring elements, this implies that the difference is carbon and, therefore, confirms the earlier reported concentrate analysis test results of greater than 99.9% carbon (C). The test conditions employed in the purification process eliminate any residual carbonate carbon or organic carbon that may have remained on the graphite flakes after flotation and, consequently, for purified graphite concentrate, total carbon can be considered as graphitic carbon.
Graphitic Carbon Purity Testing Protocols
Whenever purity levels for graphitic carbon are reported, it is important to note what test method was used and its relative percentage of error. There are three levels of assay testing:
- Control analysis: Currently the norm for reporting results achieved in standard metallurgical testing. Measurement uncertainty of ±1.4% relative error for total carbon (“Ct”) and ±5.3% relative error for graphitic carbon (“Cg”). Reported assay value of +99.9% Ct could therefore range between 98.5% and 100% Ct.
- Party Analysis: Advanced test used for commercial purposes. Measurement uncertainty of ±1.1% relative error for Ct and ±2.2% relative error for Cg. Reported assay value of +99.9% Ct could therefore range between 98.8% and 100% Ct.
- GDMS Analysis: One of the most advanced tests available for commercial purposes and provides precision measurement for impurities in a graphite concentrate. Due to the already low concentrations of impurities in the purified (upgraded) graphite concentrate, the measurement uncertainty for total carbon using this method of analysis is ±0.1%. Reported assay value of +99.9% could therefore range between 99.8% and 100% Ct.
A sample of a graphite concentrate that was purified by SGS using a thermal/chemical process was submitted to Evans Analytical in Liverpool, New York for GDMS analysis.
The measured impurities in two purified graphite concentrate samples yielded 646 parts per million (ppm), or grams per tonne, and 738 ppm respectively. All other elements included in the GDMS analysis were below the analytical detection limits, which were 1 ppm or less in most cases. The official assay certificate along with results of the GDMS analysis and can be viewed on Energizer’s website at www.energizerresources.com.