Minerals exploration company Quantum Graphite Limited has announced the successful completion of the Uley 2 flake anode initial thermal purification treatment conducted in partnership with INEMET, ProTherm Systems and QSP.
The test work program highlighted the benefits of Uley flake’s relatively clean geochemistry as anode material in lithium-ion batteries, especially the lack of material-heavy element impurities.
Results confirmed that the impurity boiling point is an excellent indicator of impurity removal as there is an excellent correlation between predicted impurity element removal and the actual removal of the elements based on the applicable boiling point data for Uley flake impurities.
The test also confirmed the efficiency of purification utilising heat treatment, saying impurity removal efficiency (IRE) using heat treatment is estimated to achieve 95 per cent removal of impurity elements.
The company said that based on the correlation of boiling point data, the thermal treatment at 3,000 degrees celsius of Uley flake samples is predicted to achieve a purity ranging from 99.5 per cent to 99.86 per cent.
The most prevalent impurity elements seen were sulphur, aluminium, calcium, iron and silicon, representing more than 95 per cent of all impurities.
Quantum added that the successful completion of the program would provide another market for Uley flakes, in addition to the downstream supply to QSP for the manufacture of long-duration thermal storage media and Uley flakes traditional supply to European and North Asian refractory manufacturers.
According to Quantum Chairman Bruno Ruggiero, adding a potential supply of anode material to the lithium-ion battery market will help the company build a globally diversified supplier of high-quality flake products.
“Together with our proprietary downstream market in long-duration storage media and high-end refractory supply, the production of anode material positions QGL to take advantage of two of the fastest growing markets in the broader industrial minerals sector,” Ruggiero added.
