RE: Danny Deadlock & the Importance of "Processing Poorly written article that indicates Deadlock doesn't fully understand graphite or the companies in the space.
Northern is the most advanced of all the companies in the sector on the "processing" side:
- Hazen Research has been retained to confirm laboratory results using bench scale models of commercial purification equipment that will be employed in the full scale process. It is anticipated that this program will be followed by a pilot plant test and then engineering and design work to define the capital and operating costs of a commercial facility to upgrade Bissett Creek graphite concentrate into spherical graphite. Hazen has developed hundreds of hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and mineral beneficiation processes for most commercial metals and industrial minerals, and for many inorganic chemicals and has been involved in over 10,000 projects.
- The National Research Council of Canada has been engaged to carry out ongoing testing of Northern's spherical graphite in Lithium/graphite batteries in order to optimize and customize its performance to meet the specifications of potential offtake and strategic partners and customers. NRC has advanced battery testing capabilities with various chemistries and is the Government of Canada's premier organization for research and development.
- Almost all spherical graphite is currently produced in China and purified using strong acids which results in large volumes of acidic and toxic waste. This method is not environmentally sustainable as the demand for, and production of, Li ion batteries increases. It is also inconsistent with the green energy objectives of the hybrid and all electric car industry. The high quality and purity of graphite from Bissett Creek has enabled the Company to develop a proprietary purification technology that is environmentally friendly and sustainable. The objective is to provide Li ion battery manufacturers with a stable, secure source of supply that is produced in an environmentally acceptable manner.
- Value added processing such as the manufacture of spherical graphite is a big part of Northern Graphite's strategy to create value for shareholders. By developing our own process we can ensure that it is optimized for our production, we can develop our own intellectual property and we do not have to pay royalties to third parties."