TIDMTGR
RNS Number : 2276M
Tirupati Graphite PLC
20 January 2021
20 January 2021
Tirupati Graphite plc ('Tirupati' or the 'Company')
Tirupati Graphene and Mintech Research Centre Update
Tirupati Graphite plc, the fully integrated, revenue generative,
specialist graphite producer and graphene developer with operations
in Madagascar and India, is pleased to announce an update on its
Tirupati Graphene and Mintech Research Centre ('TGMRC'), which is
focused on graphene manufacturing and applications development and
mineral processing technology development.
Overview
-- Allotment of prime industrial land in Bhubaneswar by
Government of Odisha, which is a significant milestone in the
advancement and development of its state-of-the-art graphene and
technology centre, TGMRC, with detailed construction planning,
equipment sourcing, and recruitment initiatives also
progressing.
-- Further optimisation of the material properties of the
Company's zero-chemical graphene products to consistently achieve a
specific surface area of 1100 - 1200 m(2) /g from 400 - 500 m(2)
/g, which is likely to further enhance the use and compatibility of
the material in various graphene enhanced applications being
developed.
-- Appointment of Dr. Matthieu Gresil (Ph.D), a leading
researcher and renowned expert on polymers and composites, as
advisor and consultant to the Company for market research and
development of graphene products - presently a Senior Lecturer at
Monash University in Melbourne, Dr. Gresil previously worked using
the Company's graphene at The University of Manchester, to develop
a specialised self-healing recyclable graphene composite.
Shishir Poddar, CEO of Tirupati Graphite, said, "We are
delighted to report the all-round progress we are making in the
development of our graphene and technology centre, TGMRC, as a
strong, stand-alone, revenue generative division in our business
model. The model is designed to catalyse the commercialisation of
graphene applications by developing commercial/bulk scale
manufacturing of consistent, high-quality graphene at affordable
costs. With the global market for graphene forecast to reach over
US$1 billion by 2023 as techno commercial bottlenecks are overcome,
we intend to be a significant contributor to this growth.
"The persistent drive and innovation of our team has led to
significant ongoing enhancements in the properties of our
high-quality graphene products and enhanced their compatibility in
applications, which is an important factor in graphene enhanced
technology developments. Discussions with various technical experts
suggests that the new feat achieved by us in specific surface area,
is unique and could potentially be highly valuable. We will
continue research and testwork to unlock the advantages that our
graphene could bring to various graphene enhanced applications
being developed.
"To further strengthen our expertise and widen our reach in the
world of composites, we are very excited to welcome Dr. Gresil to
the Tirupati team. As a recognised world-leading expert in the
world of composites, nanomaterials and developer of graphene
enhanced polymers and composites, we look forward to leveraging his
extensive expertise, prominence and access to companies and
developers globally. We are confident that he will help us build a
robust commercial client base across various industries that use
advanced polymers and composites including aerospace, defence,
biomedical and sporting equipment to name a few, ahead of our
forthcoming commercial/bulk scale graphene production capabilities
coming on-stream."
Dr. Matthieu Gresil (Ph.D), Senior Lecturer Monash University,
said "I am delighted to join the efforts of Tirupati in providing
the globe a high-quality graphene material. My experience using the
material in developing a complex self-healing, shape morphing, and
recyclable/reprocessable polymer gives me confidence on being able
to take it to the markets in the world of advanced multifunctional
composites and 2D nano materials."
FURTHER INFORMATION
Tirupati continues to advance its operations across its
portfolio including its Tirupati Graphene and Mintech Research
Centre ('TGMRC') in India, which is focussed on manufacturing
graphene, developing its applications, and providing environment
friendly technologies for mineral processing industries. This is
composed of GRACE, a graphite & graphene centre of excellence;
and MINTECH, a mineral processing & extractive metallurgy
centre of excellence.
In sync with the Company's modular development strategy, a
two-acre plot has been allocated to TGMRC in Bhubaneswar by The
Industrial Development Corporation Ltd., an entity of Government of
Odisha. Detailed construction planning, equipment sourcing, and
recruitment initiatives have been undertaken as the Company focuses
on fast-tracking commercial scale production of graphene and
creating facilities for minerals and materials technology
development.
GRACE
Having released its first standardised graphene products
manufactured by a zero-chemical process in mid-2019, the Company is
now making major steps forward to further enhance its properties.
The i-composites lab of the University of Manchester used its
graphene for development of a self-healing recyclable polymer, with
the following initial findings:
-- Covalent bonding of Tirupati's rGO achieved with epoxy based vitrimer.
-- With only a 0.5 wt% addition of Tirupati's rGO, stiffness
increased from 2.4 MPa to 98 MPa and the strength increased from
0.8 MPa to 3 MPa and still maintained relatively high elastomeric
properties.
-- Improved stress relaxation time which can contribute to recycling of the composite.
-- For hard epoxy vitrimer, slight improvement in flexural
strength and a 23% increase in fracture toughness achieved.
The maximum theoretical specific surface area of graphene can be
2630 m(2) /g. With further optimisation of its unique graphene
manufacturing technology, the Company has now consistently achieved
a BET specific surface area of 1100 - 1200 m(2) /g, demonstrating
new standards of quality for its graphene. This may further enhance
the use of the material in various applications.
APPOINTMENT
As part of its HR initiatives, the Company is delighted to
welcome Dr. Matthieu Gresil (Ph.D) as advisor and consultant for
market research and development of its graphene products. Dr.
Gresil is a senior lecturer in the Department of Material Science
and Engineering at Monash University, Australia. He obtained his
BSc degree in Physics (University of Nantes, France) and MSc degree
in Physics option Matter and Materials (University of Nantes,
France). He completed his PhD from Ecole Normale Superieure of
Cachan, France in 2009 in collaboration with DCNS (French Navy) on
the integration of functions (structural health monitoring and
electromagnetic shielding) in composite materials. He joined the
University of South Carolina as Post-doctoral Research Fellow
(2010-2014) and conducted research on SHM using multi-physics
finite element to study guided wave propagation in composite and
metallic structures. Later, he joined the Department of Materials
at the University of Manchester as Lecturer in multifunctional
composites from 2014 - 2020.
Dr. Gresil's areas of expertise include but are not limited to
multifunctionality in composites including properties like health
monitoring, self-healing, reprocessing, recycling, thermal-load
dissipation, and electrical enhancement; emerging advance polymer
materials like vitrimers, which can heal with a thermal trigger;
bio-inspired 2D/3D materials; nanotechnology; graphene products and
graphene composites. He has published 46 reviewed journals
including 23 papers on Structural Health Monitoring for composite
materials, 14 papers on graphene enhanced nanocomposites, and 2
papers on shape morphing composite materials. He recently published
a paper and front cover in Polymer Chemistry on vitrimers (i.e.,
recyclable/reprocessable and self-healable polymer). Additionally,
he has one patent on structural health monitoring and one filled
patent on novel self-healing and recycling biocatalyst
vitrimer.
Dr. Gresil shall advice the Company on research and development
of commercial markets for its graphene products with primary
targets in the composites industry. Leveraging his extensive
expertise and global reach in the graphene, materials, and
composites industry, Dr. Gresil shall help the Company identify and
approach prospective customers in various industries as well as
existing users of graphene globally. He shall also provide insight
and help in further improvements of the Company's graphene products
and the current markets of graphene.
Dr. Gresil has previously worked using the Company's graphene in
the University of Manchester for developing specialised
self-healing recyclable graphene vitrimer composite. In this
research, he found Tirupati's graphene to have excellent dispersion
properties, which imparted the required mechanical characteristics
to the material.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014. Upon the publication of
this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be
in the public domain.
**S **
For further information, please visit
https://www.tirupatigraphite.co.uk/ or contact:
Tirupati Graphite Plc admin@tirupatigraphite.co.uk
Puruvi Poddar
Optiva Securities Limited (Broker) info@optivasecurities.com
Daniel Ingram
-----------------------------
St Brides Partners Ltd (Financial PR) info@stbridespartners.co.uk
Isabel de Salis / Cosima Akerman
-----------------------------
Notes
Tirupati Graphite Plc is a revenue-generative, multi-asset,
multi-jurisdictional, fully integrated producer and developer of
high-grade natural flake graphite, speciality graphite and
graphene, which captures the entire value chain. With a unique set
of properties, graphite has diverse applications with multiple
growth streams and graphene forms the new generation of 2D
materials. In support of this, the Company places a special
emphasis on "green" applications, including renewable energy
generation, energy storage and composites, and is committed to
ensuring its operations are sustainable as well.
The Company's operations include primary mining and processing
in Madagascar, where the Company operates two key projects,
Sahamamy and Vatomina; 3,000 tpa of high-quality flake graphite
concentrate with up to 96% purity is currently being produced and
sold to customers globally, and this is planned to increase to
81,000 tpa by 2024 as per the Company's modular medium-term
development plan.
In India, through Tirupati Speciality Graphite Private Limited
('TSG'), with whom the Company has a binding acquisition agreement
subject to regulatory approvals, Tirupati processes and produces
speciality graphite for use in hi-tech applications like
lithium-ion batteries, fire retardants and composites. Its
specialty graphite processing operations include the 1,200 tpa
Patalganga Project, which was commissioned in July 2019 to
manufacture and sell CARBOFLAMEX(R), a trademarked fire-retardant
expandable graphite product. At the next stage of development,
Patalganga shall further be expanded to 4,800 tpa capacity with
capabilities to also produce high purity and micronised graphite,
so increasing market and product reach by 2021. TSG has developed
unique green processing technologies for manufacturing these
advanced materials.
After establishing itself in the specialty graphite markets
through the Patalganga Project, an additional 24,000 tpa specialty
graphite processing facility is to be established in two 12,000 tpa
phases. The plant will produce expandable, high purity, micronised
and spherical graphite. The west coast of India has been chosen as
the location and a detailed feasibility study has been completed.
TSG is also in the process of establishing the Tirupati Graphene
and Mintech Research Centre, a state-of-the-art R&D centre
focussed on manufacturing graphene, developing its applications,
and further providing environmentally friendly technologies
consultancy for mineral processing.
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END
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