VANCOUVER, Sept. 6, 2018 /CNW/ - 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 (5th July 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
Qualified Person
The qualified person for the Company's project, Mr. Blair
leading 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.
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SOURCE Leading Edge Materials