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Flinders Resources Ltd. (TSXV:FDR) is currently undertaking additional work to improve the high purity flow sheet in 2001 to confirm both technical and economic applicability. Concentrate samples have been sent to laboratories for test work for verification of the 2001 design. This is part of Flinders’ second stage growth strategy to position itself as a supplier of choice to the lithium ion battery energy storage market.
In 2001, Boliden Contech, a Swedish technical consultancy, undertook detailed design of a flow sheet to produce plus 99.9% ultra-high purity graphite concentrate from Woxna’s graphite concentrate. Subsequent testing of jet-milled Woxna concentrate by the Department of Materials Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, at Uppsala University in Sweden yielded excellent results for battery applications and found Woxna flake graphite performed well as the anode in lithium-ion batteries with high discharge capacity and packing density. Based on these results, a high-purity processing plant was subsequently environmentally permitted in 2001 (the permit has subsequently lapsed), and a high-purity plant was partially constructed at the Woxna site. Flinders owns all research and historic economic studies tied to this high purity project, which allows the Company to fast track a suitable modern flow sheet towards production of value-added graphite.
Since this historic high-purity work was conducted at Woxna 14 years ago, global interest in lithium ion batteries, which contain significantly more graphite than lithium, has increased dramatically. Battery energy storage from renewable energy is now a reality, highlighted by the recent launch of Elon Musk’s Tesla lithium ion battery as an energy storage system on both a home and industrial scale, called Powerwall and Powerpack respectively.
Flinders is currently undertaking additional work to improve the 2001 high purity flow sheet to confirm both technical and economic applicability. This design refinement is targeting modernisation to increase economics and reduce environmental impacts. Fresh concentrate samples have been sent to laboratories for test work to verify the 2001 design and the Company is in conversation with various technology providers.
Flinders Resources President & CEO, Blair Way, said:
As the only western producer of natural flake graphite, Flinders is uniquely placed to take a leading role in the supply of high-purity graphite as required by the lithium ion battery market. With a business model based on production, not just promise, we are now able to execute Stage 2 and focus on supplying ultra-high purity graphite concentrate into the plus $10B synthetic graphite market. Previous testwork lead to permitting in 2001 of a high purity (99.9%) graphite plant at the Woxna site, giving us cause for optimism in the commercial applicability of this business model.
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