Northern Graphite Announces Successful Test Production of Graphene
July 21 2011 - 9:14AM
Marketwired Canada
Northern Graphite Corporation (TSX VENTURE:NGC) is pleased to announce that
graphene has been successfully made on a test basis using large flake graphite
from the Company's Bissett Creek project in Northern Ontario. Northern's
standard 95%C, large flake graphite was evaluated as a source material for
making graphene by an eminent professor in the field at the Chinese Academy of
Sciences who is doing research making graphene sheets larger than 30cm2 in size
using the graphene oxide methodology. The tests indicated that graphene made
from Northern's jumbo flake is superior to Chinese powder and large flake
graphite in terms of size, higher electrical conductivity, lower resistance and
greater transparency (see table).
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Graphene size Opto-electrical properties
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheet
Graphene area Percent Transmittance resistance
(mm2) (%) (%) (omega/sq)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese graphite
powder
(800mesh) 0.04-0.36 49 79 12000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese flake
graphite
(32mesh) 7000 56 78 840
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern
Graphite 10000 64 81 800
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To view images of the graphenes, please visit the following link :
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/NGC_Images0721.pdf
Approximately 70% of production from the Bissett Creek property will be large
flake (+80 mesh) and almost all of this will in fact be +48 mesh jumbo flake
which is expected to attract premium pricing and be a better source material for
the potential manufacture of graphene. The very high percentage of large flakes
makes Bissett Creek unique compared to most graphite deposits worldwide which
produce a blend of large, medium and small flakes, as well as a large percentage
of low value -150 mesh flake and amorphous powder which are not suitable for
graphene, Li ion batteries or other high end, high growth applications.
Graphite is one of only two naturally occurring forms of carbon, the other being
diamonds. A graphite flake is much like a deck of cards, it consists of many
thin layers stacked one on top of the other with weak bonds holding them
together. Delaminating these layers to the lowest common denominator results in
a one atom thick sheet of carbon with the carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb
pattern. This is graphene.
Graphene was first isolated by scientists at the University of Manchester who
won the Noble Prize for Physics in 2010 for their efforts. Graphene is
transparent in infra-red and visible light, flexible, and stronger than steel.
It conducts heat 10 times faster than copper and can carry 1,000 times the
density of electrical current of copper wire. Graphene is expected to be a
revolutionary material that could change the technology of semi conductors and
LCD touch screens and monitors, create super small transistors and super dense
data storage, increase energy storage and solar cell efficiency, and will
transform many other applications.
According to a professor at Georgia Tech University, there are nearly 200
companies, including Intel and IBM, currently involved in graphene research. In
2010 graphene was the subject of approximately 3,000 research papers and the
European Union and South Korea have each recently started $1.5 billion efforts
to build industrial scale, next generation display materials using graphene as a
substitute for indium tin oxide("ITO"). The world has only 5-10 years of ITO
reserves remaining and prices exceed US$700,000 per tonne.
See what is possible at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YbS-YyvCl4&NR=1
About Northern Graphite Corporation
Northern Graphite Corporation (TSX VENTURE:NGC) holds a 100% interest in the
Bissett Creek graphite project which is located 17kms from the Trans Canada
highway between Ottawa and North Bay, Ontario. The Company is in the process of
completing a bankable Final Feasibility Study and permitting with the objective
of initiating construction, subject to the results of the study and the
availability of financing, in the first part of 2012.
The Graphite Market
Graphite prices have increased substantially due to the ongoing modernization of
China and other emerging economies which has resulted in strong demand from
traditional steel and automotive markets. In addition, new applications such as
lithium ion batteries, fuel cells and nuclear power have the potential to create
significant incremental demand growth. However, production and exports from
China, which produces 70% of the world's graphite, are expected to decline and
an export tax and a licensing system have been instituted. Both the European
Union and the United States have declared graphite a supply critical mineral.
With few potential development projects on the horizon, the Company is well
positioned to benefit from the continued improvement in graphite demand and
prices. High growth, high value graphite applications require large flake and/or
high purity graphite which will represent 100% of Bissett Creek production.
Additional information on Northern Graphite Corporation can be found under the
Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at
www.northerngraphite.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified
by the use of statements that include words such as "could", "potential",
"believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "likely", "will" or other
similar words or phrases. These statements are only current predictions and are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements to be materially different from those anticipated by the
forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any
obligation, to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, unless otherwise required by applicable
securities laws. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements.
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