Mining News: News Nuggets: Rounding out the potential for Alaska graphite in lithium batteries

Graphite One Resources Inc. March 10 reported the start of development test work to produce carbon-coated spherical graphite from graphite sourced from its Graphite Creek deposit near Nome, Alaska. Carbon-coated spherical graphite is the finished product used in lithium-ion batteries. The spherical shape allows the graphite to be more efficiently packed into battery cells, while the coating extends the graphite’s lifetime capacity. “Production of carbon-coated spherical graphite will be a key step for us,” said Graphite One CEO Anthony Huston. “As the green technology economy grows, driving continued adoption of electric vehicles and smart grid power storage devices, graphite will increasingly be a key material – a factor already present in rising demand projections.” Graphite One’s current testing is expected to provide preliminary information on the milling and spheroidizing yields of the graphite identified at Graphite Creek. The processing work, being done by TRU Group Inc., is expected to produce lab-scale samples of carbon-coated spherical graphite for internal assessment of electro-chemical performance and for potential end-user evaluation. Graphite One anticipates that the samples will be produced within six weeks with the findings to be incorporated into a preliminary economic assessment. The spherical graphite produced will be classified into different size ranges, as only certain sizes will be suited to electric vehicle and power storage applications. The work will assess non-chemical methods for graphite purification; generate electrochemical performance data of spherical graphite; and generate exploratory samples for potential end-users. Graphite One said it is on schedule to produce the samples of spherical graphite early in the second quarter of 2016. Additionally, the company is validating its mineral processing flowsheet for the Graphite Creek mineralization and is generating a larger sample of select sized graphite concentrates that will then be purified and processed into ultra-high purity coated spherical graphite. “With America’s largest natural flake deposit, and the advanced processing capabilities we are now working towards validating, Graphite One is systematically developing critical components of a North American clean-energy supply chain,” said Huston.

- Shane Lasley