Leading Edge Materials Updates Purification Test Work from Woxna Graphite Project, Sweden
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Vancouver, September 6 – Leading Edge Materials Corp.(“Leading Edge Materials”) or (“the “Company”) (TSXV:LEM) (Nasdaq First North: LEMSE) (OTCQB: LEMIF) is pleased to provide an update of purification test work underway on graphite from the Woxna graphite mine in Sweden. Woxna is a fully constructed mine, with all processing, waste management and infrastructure in place. During 2017, Woxna was granted an extension to its operating license until 2041.
As previously disclosed (5thJuly 2018), Leading Edge Materials is undertaking various research and development activities to support the design and installation of a Battery Graphite Demonstration Plant at the Woxna mine site. The Demonstration Plant will have the capacity to supply meaningful (100’s of kgs) quantities of lithium ion battery anode material to prospective industrial customers.
To facilitate process trade off and equipment selection decisions, the Company is now completing additional test work for the thermal purification of graphite at the in-house laboratory of a large European company. The current test program follows on from preliminary testing carried out in 2017 and is delivering a matrix of results where time, temperature and gas conditions are systematically varied. The performance data from this program will facilitate selection of the furnace equipment that can meet the required temperature while providing insight into the energy needs to produce various high purity graphite products.
The current program has been highly instructive in defining the process conditions that achieve purities from 98%C through to 99.99%C. Based on test work to date, purity up to the highest value nuclear materials (99.999%C) can be achieved using Woxna graphite and a thermal purification system.
Leading Edge Materials’ market research amongst lithium ion battery manufacturers has shown that product specifications vary substantially in purity, particle size distribution and price expectations. As a result, a high degree of process flexibility will be required to meet customer demands both now and as the European lithium ion battery industry matures.
Leading Edge Materials have tested both chemical and thermal graphite purification technologies, with both achieving “battery grade” material purity. As the Woxna site already has ample power capacity for thermal purification, and northern Sweden provides access to very low-price hydro power, thermal purification presents as a cost effective and low-carbon generation choice. Furthermore, thermal purification removes the need to transport, handle and dispose of the toxic chemicals typically required for natural graphite purification, so ensuring minimum environmental impact and contributing to the sustainability of battery materials supplied from Woxna.
Samples used for the current test program were surplus spheronised feedstock with a carbon grade of approximately 94%. The test program continues, and further results are expected next month.
Blair Way, President and CEO, stated “Our purification and spheronisation test program is delivering the data required for a tradeoff study and the subsequent design of the Woxna Battery Graphite Demonstration Plant. The company looks forward to supplying large quantities of graphite from our Demonstration Plant to prospective European battery customers to robustly compare with the Asian-sourced natural and synthetic graphite anode used by industry today.
On behalf of the Board,
“Blair Way”
Blair Way, President & CEO
For further information, contact: 1.604.685.9316 or info@leadingedgematerials.com
Qualified Person
The qualified person for the Company’s project, Mr. Blair Way B.Sc. (Geology) M.B.A., a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Company’s President and CEO, has reviewed and verified the contents of this document.
About Leading Edge Materials
Leading Edge Materials is a Canadian public company focused on production of high value critical raw materials for the European market, with an operating base in the Nordic region, a region well recognized for its promotion and investment in innovation. LEM’s flagship asset is the Woxna Graphite production facility located in central Sweden targeting the supply of specialty materials for lithium ion battery production. LEM’s assets and research focus are towards the raw materials for Li-ion batteries (graphite, lithium, cobalt); materials for high thermal efficiency building products (graphite, silica, nepheline); and materials that improve the efficiency of energy generation (dysprosium, neodymium, hafnium). Investments are linked to the global shift to low-carbon energy generation and energy storage. Leading Edge Materials currently operate in four divisions, Graphite, Lithium, Rare Earth and Cobalt. Mangold Fondkommission AB is the company’s Certified Adviser (“CA”) as part of the listing requirements for Nasdaq First North.
Additional Information
Leading Edge Materials is listed on the TSXV under the symbol “LEM” and Nasdaq First North Stockholm under the symbol ” LEMSE”. Mangold Fondkommission AB is the Company’s Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Forward-Looking Information. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include but are not limited to, unexpected geological conditions; the Company’s expectations regarding exploration activities to advance critical material projects for energy storage markets, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities. Although such statements are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, there are risk factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.