Northern Graphite Announces Bissett Creek’s Spherical Graphite Yield

Northern Graphite Corp. (TSXV:NGC,OTCQX:NGPHF) announced that based on initial testing using production-scale equipment, large-flake graphite from its Bissett Creek deposit has a spherical graphite yield of 50 percent.

As quoted in the press release:

The Company expects that the yield will increase with further optimization. SPG is the anode material used in lithium ion batteries (‘LiBs’) and Industry yields are generally 33% (or less). Losses in the SPG manufacturing process are one of its biggest costs and low yields render a great deal of graphite unsuitable for this use.

Large flake graphite currently sells for approximately US$1,350/tonne whereas the price of uncoated SPG is US$3,500/t and over US$10,000/t coated.

Gregory Bowes, CEO of Northern Graphite, commented:

Our goal is to create a technology company that is focussed not only on higher value markets but on reducing battery costs, increasing their capacity and meeting the growing needs of the electric vehicle market. The unique nature of the Bissett Creek deposit, and the technologies that Northern has developed, provide the Company with significant competitive advantages. In particular:

1. Bissett Creek has the best location and infrastructure of any new graphite project leading to low capital and operating costs.
2. 90% of production will be battery grade which is by far the highest in the industry as most deposits produce only 25-66% battery grade concentrates.
3. Recent testing confirmed that the yield on rounding for Bissett Creek graphite is the highest in the industry.
4. Initial testing has demonstrated that the pristine flake from Bissett Creek has a highly ordered crystal structure resulting in greater battery capacity and the possibility that the costly graphitization step may not be required.
5. The Company has developed its own proprietary process for coating SPG and,
6. As a result of extensive testing over the last three years Northern has also developed a process for purifying both SPG and flake concentrate in an environmentally sustainable, cost competitive manner.

Click here to read the full Northern Graphite Corp. (TSXV:NGC,OTCQX:NGPHF) press release.