Northern Graphite Develops and Successfully Tests Spherical Graphite Coating Procedure
March 19 2014 - 8:45AM
Marketwired
Northern Graphite Develops and Successfully Tests Spherical
Graphite Coating Procedure
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Mar 19, 2014) - Northern
Graphite Corporation (TSX-VENTURE:NGC)(OTCQX:NGPHF) announces that
it has developed and successfully tested a proprietary process for
coating spherical graphite ("SPG") which is the final step before
it can be used as an anode material in lithium ion batteries
("LIBs"). SPG is manufactured from the flake graphite concentrate
produced by graphite mines. Prices range from $3,500 per tonne
uncoated to over $10,000 per tonne for coated SPG.
Lithium battery cell
testing of Northern's coated SPG indicates a higher total capacity
and slightly better first cycle efficiency than the commercial
materials which were tested. Northern's SPG has a reversible
capacity of 368 mAh/g which is very close to the theoretical
maximum of 372 mAh/g. Dr. Edward Buiel, founder of Coulometrics,LLC
and Northern's partner in developing the coating procedure, stated
that: "Large flake graphite from the Bissett Creek deposit has a
uniquely pristine crystal structure. The low degree of disorder
requires little or no thermal processing and naturally leads to a
high degree of reversible capacity for LiB applications. The large
pristine flakes also have natural advantages in terms of battery
purification and yield during spheronizing that can lead to lower
production costs."
To view accompanying
graph, visit the following link:
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/NGC_graph_data.jpg
All natural uncoated
SPG is currently produced in China. The largest manufacturing cost
is the low yield during rounding as it requires three tonnes of
small flake to produce one tonne of SPG. Northern has achieved
yields in the 50 to 70% range as Bissett Creek flake graphite
appears to be more resilient and survives the rounding process
better. Additional testing will take place in China shortly.
The SPG produced in
China is purified from approximately 94%C to 99.95%C using
hydrofluoric and sulphuric acid. This is a low cost process if the
waste products are not properly treated which is generally the
case. This approach is not sustainable as the demand for LiBs grows
with the increased adoption of "green" hybrid and all-electric
vehicles. Northern has developed a proprietary process for
purifying both SPG and flake concentrate from the Bissett Creek
project as high purity graphite is required for many other value
added and rapidly growing applications in addition to LiBs. The
Company believes that its process is environmentally sustainable
and will be price competitive with the Chinese wet chemical
approach when they are forced to incur the costs of environmental
remediation.
Flake graphite
production has declined from 565,000 tonnes in 2011 to an estimated
375,000 tonnes in 2013 as uneconomic mines have closed and others
have been shut down due to environmental problems. While some of
this capacity will come back on line when prices rebound, some will
not. And not all is suitable for making SPG. Only flake graphite
which can be economically rounded and purified to 99.95%C and has a
low level of of specific impurities can be used. Demand from the
LIB industry is already approaching 100,000 tonnes per year even
with the slow adoption of EVs. According to Industrial Minerals
magazine, up to six new graphite mines would be required to supply
the proposed Tesla
Gigafactory alone without accounting for growth from other
EV manufacturers or in other markets.
Greg Bowes, CEO,
commented that: "natural SPG will be a major part of the solution
going forward due to its significant cost advantage over synthetic
products. Our goals are to increase that advantage through
proprietary coating and purification procedures, and to provide the
industry with a stable, secure source of anode material produced in
an environmentally acceptable manner."
Northern Graphite
Corporation
Northern Graphite is
a Canadian company that has a 100% interest in the Bissett Creek
graphite deposit located in eastern Ontario. Northern is the only
public company with a true, large flake deposit and it is the only
one with a bankable Final Feasibility Study and its major
environmental permit. Among the new projects it has the best
infrastructure, the lowest capital costs and the lowest unit
operating costs. Northern Graphite is well positioned to benefit
from the compelling supply/demand dynamic that is developing in the
graphite industry. Additional information can be found at
www.sedar.com and www.northerngraphite.com.
This press release
contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the
use of 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.
Neither the TSX
Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term
is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Northern Graphite CorporationGregory BowesCEO(613)
241-9959Northern Graphite CorporationStephen ThompsonCFO(613)
241-9959
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