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Tuesday, November 24, 2015
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Thursday, June 26, 2014
Focus Graphite - full steam ahead for Lac Knife Project
Focus Graphite Inc. TSX VENTURE : FMS
OTCQX : FCSMF
FRANKFURT : FKC
June 25, 2014 11:10 ET
Focus Graphite's Lac Knife Project's Benchmark Feasibility Study Reports
Highlights: $383 Million NPV; 30.1% IRR; Operating Costs of $441 Per Tonne
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 25, 2014) -
Focus Graphite Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FMS)(OTCQX:FCSMF)(FRANKFURT:FKC)
("Focus" or the "Company") is pleased to report the results of its
Feasibility Study ("FS") for the Lac Knife Project performed by Met-Chem
Canada Inc.
The study was based on a 25-year mine life that produced a Pre-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") of $383 million calculated at a discounted cash flow ("DCF") rate of 8% Pre-tax, the financial model has an Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 30.1% and a capital payback period of 3.0 years.
The after tax financial model has an NPV of $224 million calculated at a DCF rate of 8%, and with an IRR of 24.1% and a capital payback of 3.2 years. A National Instrument 43-101 technical FS report will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release.
"Lac Knife is a remarkable property by any Canadian or international standard," Gary Economo, Focus' Chief Executive Officer said. "As we have already demonstrated, Lac Knife provides us, and our shareholders, with a significant advantage. And that is: The ability to meet our customers' needs for quality products at competitive prices."
Don Baxter, Focus's President and COO said: "We are very pleased to have reached this significant milestone in the development of the Lac Knife Project. With the Feasibility Study in hand, an offtake with an end-user signed as well as battery tested spherical graphite, Focus has positioned itself as a leader in the graphite space, with no other company having reached this level of development."
Results from the FS indicate that the Lac Knife Project is
viable economically with a Base Case scenario that includes a
concentrator production line rate of 44,300 tonnes of concentrate
annually at an average mill feed rate of 323,670 tonnes per year of
Mineral Reserves over a 25-year mine life. A concentrator availability
of 93% was used for the study. The additional Measured, Indicated, and
Inferred Resources will continue to be evaluated to develop the mid and
long term growth profile for the Company.
Highlights:
Met-Chem's financial model does not include potential value-added, purified, spheronized, and coated battery-grade graphite in its financial and operational calculations.
The exchange rate used is $0.91 US Dollars per Canadian Dollar. Table 1 provides the Net Present Values calculated at various discounted cash flow rates for the Base Case production scenario of 44,300 tonnes of graphite concentrate produced annually. The financial analysis in the FS study used the 24 month price of US$1,713 per tonne that is a weighted average for the various graphite concentrates that are classified by flake size and also valued by their carbon content.
The annual milling capacity is 323,670 tonnes per year to produce 44,300 tonnes of concentrate annually at a cost of $441 per tonne of concentrate. The concentrate will grade 97.8% Graphitic Carbon ("Cg") on average for a 25-year open pit mine life based on current open pit reserves. All graphite concentrate produced with flakes larger than 200 mesh contain more than 98% Cg.
The FS is based on the Pilot Plant test work run by SGS Mineral Services in Lakefield, Ontario, during the spring of 2013 and announced in a news release on August 21st, 2013. The concentrator process flow sheet is based on standard flotation circuits followed by a series of polishing mills that upgrade the carbon content by cleaning impurities present in the ore that are generally found on the graphitic carbon flake surfaces of the Lac Knife mineralization. Pilot Plant recovery was 91%, full scale, consistent operations should improve on the mill process recovery. Flake size distribution is expected to increase in favour of larger flake as the full scale plant will start with a SAG mill which is better suited to mitigate flake damage as opposed to crushing and grinding methods used in the pilot plant.
Lac Knife is unique in that all natural flake graphitic concentrates produced with flake size above 200 mesh (75 microns) size are more than 98% Cg. This allows Focus to divert finer sized products that would typically be difficult to sell due their flake size to higher value added products such as spherical graphite for batteries due to the high carbon content of 98% carbon (See "Lithium Battery Coin Cell Test Results" below).
Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves:
The open pit design includes 429 kt of Proven Reserves and 7,428 kt of Probable Reserves for a total of 7,857 kt of Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves grading 15.13% Cg. The Mineral Reserves which account for mining dilution and ore loss are reported at a cut-off grade of 3.1% Cg. In order to access these reserves, 2,746 kt of overburden, 10,926 kt of waste rock and 231 kt of Inferred Mineral Resources must be mined. This total waste quantity of 13,903 kt results in a stripping ratio of 1.8 to 1. Table 2 presents the Lac Knife open pit mineral reserves that were estimated for the FS. The remaining Measured and Indicated Resources within the Lac Knife deposit will help to develop the mid and long-term growth profile for the company (See Table 5 for MRE).
A pit optimization analysis was carried out using the MS-Economic Planner module of MineSight®
which ran the Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm to determine the economic
limits of the deposit. The analysis showed that the open pit design for
the Feasibility Study should be based on a 25-year mine life that
includes approximately 82% of the Measured and Indicated Mineral
Resources.
The open pit design incorporates 10 m high benches and follows the pit slope recommendations from the 2014 geotechnical investigation. The pit is 700 m long and 400 m wide at surface and has a maximum pit depth of 100 m.
Mining will be carried out by a mining contractor who will use conventional open pit mining methods that include drilling and blasting followed by a hydraulic excavator loading a fleet of 46-tonne haul trucks. The mine will be operated seasonally (7 months of the year) and a front-end wheel loader will be used to feed the processing plant from an ore stockpile during the winter months.
The study was conducted with engineering and estimation methods appropriate to target an estimate accuracy of 15% that is standard and realistic for capital and operating cost estimates in a Feasibility Study. Based on an extensive risk review exercise the contingency is 11.5%. The Capital Expenditures in Table 3 outline what is needed to construct the mine, processing plant, power line and all associated infrastructure that is estimated at a total of $165.55 million.
The company is currently in discussion with vendors to define
financing packages for equipment. This will result in a reduced up
front capital and add to the basket of financing options currently being
investigated. Another financing option currently under due diligence is
Supply Chain Financing ("SCF") based on an offtake agreement signed in
December 2013 for a minimum of 50% of Lac Knife's production. SCF is a
non-dilutive alternative to equity financing and is not as encumbering
as traditional debt, or royalty financing. Future off-take agreements
will contain a financial component as well.
This project-financing alternative could include equity and low interest debt as well as a signing bonus to execute an offtake agreement. These options have the potential to enhance future project economic metrics, and the company continues to discuss with several interested parties on various options.
The operating costs per tonne of concentrate produced are
$441 (See Table 4 below). This is an improvement over the updated
Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) that showed $458 per tonne of
concentrate produced. One key variable to low production costs is Lac
Knife's project location giving relatively easy access to low cost
hydroelectric power from Hydro Quebec at the intersection of the access
road and Provincial Highway 389.
Permitting is well underway with the ESIA to be submitted by the end of the summer and the Mine Closure Plan is planned for submission mid-summer. Focus continues to communicate, meet, and listen to local communities and will be increasing these efforts now that the feasibility is completed and the impacts are known.
The National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") MRE was performed by Pierre Desautels of AGP Inc. and was announced January 28th. It increased the Measured and Indicated Resources by 92% for the Lac Knife Deposit. The MRE is based on both the 2012 and 2013 additional exploration and definition drilling programs for a total of 92 holes, and 9,103 meters that successfully achieved the designed goal to upgrade the quality of existing Indicated and Inferred Resources to the Measured and Indicated Resource categories. This is in addition to 105 previous drill holes that totaled 9,217 meters.
Measured and Indicated Resources are estimated at 9.6 million tonnes grading 14.77% at a 3% Cg cut-off grade. Additionally there are 3.1 million tonnes of Inferred Resources at 13.25 % Cg using a 3% cut-off in this updated resource estimate presented in Table 5.
Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. (See Table 2 above for Reserves).
Lithium Battery Coin Cell Test Results
On May 27th, Focus Graphite announced it "Succeeded in Producing Extremely High-Performing Coated Spherical Graphite for Lithium Ion Batteries". The results from coin cell performance testing performed on Lac Knife Spherical Graphite ("SPG") produced outstanding performance metric results. The benchmark products have a typical irreversible capacity loss ("ICL") of 6-10% ICL. Lac Knife SPG showed two ICL test results measuring 1.01% and 1.44%, truly remarkable results. Essentially these battery performance tests illustrated that the Irreversible Capacity Loss ("ICL") was reduced by 75% compared to the benchmark products available in the market today.
These tests confirm Focus' capability to tailor lithium ion battery anode grade SPG and value added products to meet the most stringent customer specifications
Lac Knife anode SPG is unique in having such a low ICL performance metric, this could be attributed to the unique properties of the Lac Knife high carbon content concentrate that grades 98% C, even in the finer flake size concentrate products down to 200 mesh (75 microns) that are usually the most difficult products to sell. This holds the potential to allow Focus market access to significantly higher margin value added products with a finer grade lower cost product creating a unique opportunity.
"Commercially and competitively, these results open the door for Focus to confidently accelerate our plans to market and sell our battery grade, high margin products to potential partners and customers," said Mr. Baxter.
Qualified Persons
The technical information within this news release was approved by Project Leader Mary- Jean Buchanan Eng., and Jeffrey Cassoff Eng., Lead Mining Engineer, and Ewald Pengel P. Eng., Senior Metallurgist, who was responsible for concentrator design, all from Met-Chem Canada Inc., and all individuals that are Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 guidelines and all independent of the issuer. Pierre Desautels P.Geo. of AGP Inc. completed the NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate report and is also independent of the issuer.
The technical information in this news release was prepared by Mr. Don Baxter, P. Eng., Focus President & Chief Operating Officer, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 guidelines, who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.
About Focus Graphite
Focus Graphite Inc. is an emerging mining development company with an objective to produce value added products initially for the lithium ion battery market from the Lac Knife graphite deposit located south west of Fermont, Québec. The Lac Knife project hosts a NI 43-101 compliant Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource Estimate* of 9.6 million tonnes grading 14.77% graphitic carbon (Cg) as natural flake graphite with an additional Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate* of 3.1 million tonnes grading 13.25% Cg. Focus' goal is to assume an industry leadership position by becoming a low-cost producer of technology-grade graphite. The feasibility study results released on June 25th, 2014 for the Lac Knife Project indicated that the project is economically viable and has the potential to become a low cost graphite producer based on 7.86 million tonnes of Proven and Probable Reserves grading 15.13 Cg. On May 27, 2014 the Company announced the Potential for High Value Added Sales in the Li-Ion Battery Sector following battery coin cell tests performed on Lac Knife Spherical Graphite ("SPG"). Testing measured the performance metrics and confirmed Focus' capability to tailor lithium ion battery anode grade graphite and value added products to meet the most stringent customer specifications. This is a result of being a technology-oriented enterprise having a vision of building long-term, sustainable shareholder value. Focus also invests in the development of graphene applications and patents through Grafoid Inc.
* Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability
About Met-Chem Canada, Inc.
Met-Chem is an internationally renowned consulting engineering firm established in 1969 to provide all phases of geology, mining, mineral processing and engineering services throughout the world. From its headquarters in Montreal, Met-Chem offers the mining industry professional expertise that covers scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, basic and detailed engineering, procurement and construction management, training, start-up, commissioning and operations assistance.
About Industrial Minerals-DATA
Industrial Minerals ("IM") Data-Graphite is a dedicated pricing and analysis service for the natural graphite market. Tracking over 40 different grades from around the world, IM Data's pricing database supplies up-to-date information which allows for tracking both current and historical trends as far back as 1988. Their analysts, based in London and Shanghai, collect information directly from the industry, providing exclusive insight and market intelligence. With up-to-date pricing data, market analysis and commentary, IM Data Graphite is the only independent source of accurate, detailed and independent information for the natural graphite market.
Forward Looking Statement
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: (i) volatile stock price; (ii) the general global markets and economic conditions; (iii) the possibility of write-downs and impairments; (iv) the risk associated with exploration, development and operation of mineral deposits; (v) the risk associated with establishing title to mineral properties and assets; (vi) the risks associated with entering into joint ventures; (vii) fluctuations in commodity prices; (viii) the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of exploration, development and production; (ix) competition faced by the resulting issuer in securing experienced personnel and financing; (x) access to adequate infrastructure to support mining, processing, development and exploration activities; (xi) the risks associated with changes in the mining regulatory regime governing the resulting issuer; (xii) the risks associated with the various environmental regulations the resulting issuer is subject to; (xiii) risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; (xiv) risks related to potential conflicts of interest; (xv) the reliance on key personnel; (xvi) liquidity risks; (xvii) the risk of potential dilution through the issue of common shares; (xviii) the Company does not anticipate declaring dividends in the near term; (xix) the risk of litigation; and (xx) risk management.
Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued exploration activities, no material adverse change in metal prices, exploration and development plans proceeding in accordance with plans and such plans achieving their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations and exploration plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
The study was based on a 25-year mine life that produced a Pre-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") of $383 million calculated at a discounted cash flow ("DCF") rate of 8% Pre-tax, the financial model has an Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 30.1% and a capital payback period of 3.0 years.
The after tax financial model has an NPV of $224 million calculated at a DCF rate of 8%, and with an IRR of 24.1% and a capital payback of 3.2 years. A National Instrument 43-101 technical FS report will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days of this news release.
"Lac Knife is a remarkable property by any Canadian or international standard," Gary Economo, Focus' Chief Executive Officer said. "As we have already demonstrated, Lac Knife provides us, and our shareholders, with a significant advantage. And that is: The ability to meet our customers' needs for quality products at competitive prices."
Don Baxter, Focus's President and COO said: "We are very pleased to have reached this significant milestone in the development of the Lac Knife Project. With the Feasibility Study in hand, an offtake with an end-user signed as well as battery tested spherical graphite, Focus has positioned itself as a leader in the graphite space, with no other company having reached this level of development."
| Table 1 | ||||||
| Lac Knife Feasibility Results (Pre-Tax) | Base Case | 2016 Forecast | Units | |||
| Average Price / Tonne of Concentrate: | $1,713 | $2,256 | US$ | |||
| Internal Rate of Return (IRR) | 30.1 | 41.8 | % | |||
| Net Present Value @ 6% Discounted Cash Flow | 510 | 809 | $ million | |||
| Net Present Value @ 8% Discounted Cash Flow | 383 | 624 | $ million | |||
| Net Present Value @ 10% Discounted Cash Flow | 291 | 488 | $ million | |||
| Payback Period | 3.0 | 2.1 | Years | |||
| Lac Knife Feasibility Results (After-Tax) | Base Case | 2016 Forecast | Units | |||
| Internal Rate of Return (IRR) | 24.1 | 32.8 | % | |||
| Net Present Value @ 6% Discounted Cash Flow | 304 | 476 | $ million | |||
| Net Present Value @ 8% Discounted Cash Flow | 224 | 364 | $ million | |||
| Net Present Value @ 10% Discounted Cash Flow | 165 | 280 | $ million | |||
| Payback Period | 3.2 | 2.4 | Years | |||
| All monetary values are in Canadian Dollars ("CDN") except where specified otherwise | ||||||
Highlights:
- Reduced operating costs from $458 per tonne of concentrate to $441 per tonne within close range of the Updated PEA study released November 7th, 2013.
- Mining costs are 126.95 $/t of concentrate ($17.85 per tonne of ore) with the major component associated contract mining costs. Contract mining versus lower cost owner mining can be revisited with further evaluation of mine equipment leasing and associated owner's costs.
- Processing costs for the concentrator are, on average over the life of mine $239.37 per tonne of concentrate produced, based on yearly average processing costs of $33.66 per tonne of ore processed. The low cost hydroelectric power supplied by Hydro Quebec contributes to overall low production costs.
- Detailed engineering is planned to start in 2014 and further analysis of each of these cost components will continue during the detailed engineering stage.
- Life of Mine Plan resulted in an overall average strip ratio of 1.8 to 1 for 25 years.
- Average prices used in the financial model do not include value added products that can be produced using the typically lower valued finer natural flake graphite. These finer graphite concentrates can be further processed into value added products for the Lithium Ion battery market because of their high carbon content of 98% carbon and realize a higher margin for a reasonable capital investment and operating cost over and above those outlined in this release. Based on these results it has become an important objective to outline the scope of this secondary transformation project for electrifying transportation and for use by other lithium battery end users.
Met-Chem's financial model does not include potential value-added, purified, spheronized, and coated battery-grade graphite in its financial and operational calculations.
The exchange rate used is $0.91 US Dollars per Canadian Dollar. Table 1 provides the Net Present Values calculated at various discounted cash flow rates for the Base Case production scenario of 44,300 tonnes of graphite concentrate produced annually. The financial analysis in the FS study used the 24 month price of US$1,713 per tonne that is a weighted average for the various graphite concentrates that are classified by flake size and also valued by their carbon content.
The annual milling capacity is 323,670 tonnes per year to produce 44,300 tonnes of concentrate annually at a cost of $441 per tonne of concentrate. The concentrate will grade 97.8% Graphitic Carbon ("Cg") on average for a 25-year open pit mine life based on current open pit reserves. All graphite concentrate produced with flakes larger than 200 mesh contain more than 98% Cg.
The FS is based on the Pilot Plant test work run by SGS Mineral Services in Lakefield, Ontario, during the spring of 2013 and announced in a news release on August 21st, 2013. The concentrator process flow sheet is based on standard flotation circuits followed by a series of polishing mills that upgrade the carbon content by cleaning impurities present in the ore that are generally found on the graphitic carbon flake surfaces of the Lac Knife mineralization. Pilot Plant recovery was 91%, full scale, consistent operations should improve on the mill process recovery. Flake size distribution is expected to increase in favour of larger flake as the full scale plant will start with a SAG mill which is better suited to mitigate flake damage as opposed to crushing and grinding methods used in the pilot plant.
Lac Knife is unique in that all natural flake graphitic concentrates produced with flake size above 200 mesh (75 microns) size are more than 98% Cg. This allows Focus to divert finer sized products that would typically be difficult to sell due their flake size to higher value added products such as spherical graphite for batteries due to the high carbon content of 98% carbon (See "Lithium Battery Coin Cell Test Results" below).
Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves:
The open pit design includes 429 kt of Proven Reserves and 7,428 kt of Probable Reserves for a total of 7,857 kt of Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves grading 15.13% Cg. The Mineral Reserves which account for mining dilution and ore loss are reported at a cut-off grade of 3.1% Cg. In order to access these reserves, 2,746 kt of overburden, 10,926 kt of waste rock and 231 kt of Inferred Mineral Resources must be mined. This total waste quantity of 13,903 kt results in a stripping ratio of 1.8 to 1. Table 2 presents the Lac Knife open pit mineral reserves that were estimated for the FS. The remaining Measured and Indicated Resources within the Lac Knife deposit will help to develop the mid and long-term growth profile for the company (See Table 5 for MRE).
| Table 2 | ||||
| Lac Knife Open Pit Mineral Reserves | ||||
| Category | Tonnage (kt) | Cg Grade (%) | ||
| Proven | 429 | 23.61 | ||
| Probable | 7,428 | 14.64 | ||
| Proven and Probable | 7,857 | 15.13 | ||
The open pit design incorporates 10 m high benches and follows the pit slope recommendations from the 2014 geotechnical investigation. The pit is 700 m long and 400 m wide at surface and has a maximum pit depth of 100 m.
Mining will be carried out by a mining contractor who will use conventional open pit mining methods that include drilling and blasting followed by a hydraulic excavator loading a fleet of 46-tonne haul trucks. The mine will be operated seasonally (7 months of the year) and a front-end wheel loader will be used to feed the processing plant from an ore stockpile during the winter months.
The study was conducted with engineering and estimation methods appropriate to target an estimate accuracy of 15% that is standard and realistic for capital and operating cost estimates in a Feasibility Study. Based on an extensive risk review exercise the contingency is 11.5%. The Capital Expenditures in Table 3 outline what is needed to construct the mine, processing plant, power line and all associated infrastructure that is estimated at a total of $165.55 million.
| Table 3 | ||
| Lac Knife Capital Expenditure - Cost Centers | CDN$ millions | |
| Mine equipment, infrastructure, and pre-stripping | 4.21 | |
| Infrastructure | 11.62 | |
| Primary Crushing | 7.02 | |
| Concentrator | 62.24 | |
| Environmental and Tailings Management | 8.22 | |
| Additional Infrastructure | 15.4 | |
| Indirect Costs | 39.77 | |
| Contingency (11.5%) | 17.07 | |
| Sub Total | 165.55 | |
This project-financing alternative could include equity and low interest debt as well as a signing bonus to execute an offtake agreement. These options have the potential to enhance future project economic metrics, and the company continues to discuss with several interested parties on various options.
| Table 4 | ||
| Lac Knife Operating Expenditures (25 year average) Cost Centers | $/Tonne of Concentrate | |
| Mining | 126.95 | |
| Processing Costs (Concentrator) | 239.37 | |
| General Administration Mine Site | 74.70 | |
| Total Operating Costs | 441.02 | |
Permitting is well underway with the ESIA to be submitted by the end of the summer and the Mine Closure Plan is planned for submission mid-summer. Focus continues to communicate, meet, and listen to local communities and will be increasing these efforts now that the feasibility is completed and the impacts are known.
The National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") MRE was performed by Pierre Desautels of AGP Inc. and was announced January 28th. It increased the Measured and Indicated Resources by 92% for the Lac Knife Deposit. The MRE is based on both the 2012 and 2013 additional exploration and definition drilling programs for a total of 92 holes, and 9,103 meters that successfully achieved the designed goal to upgrade the quality of existing Indicated and Inferred Resources to the Measured and Indicated Resource categories. This is in addition to 105 previous drill holes that totaled 9,217 meters.
Measured and Indicated Resources are estimated at 9.6 million tonnes grading 14.77% at a 3% Cg cut-off grade. Additionally there are 3.1 million tonnes of Inferred Resources at 13.25 % Cg using a 3% cut-off in this updated resource estimate presented in Table 5.
| Table 5 | ||||||
| Lac Knife Mineral Resource Estimate Categories | Tonnage (t) | Cg (%) | In situ Graphite(t) | |||
| Measured | 432,000 | 23.66 | 102,000 | |||
| Indicated | 9,144,000 | 14.35 | 1,312,000 | |||
| Measured + Indicated | 9,576,000 | 14.77 | 1,414,000 | |||
| Inferred | 3,102,000 | 13.25 | 411,000 | |||
Lithium Battery Coin Cell Test Results
On May 27th, Focus Graphite announced it "Succeeded in Producing Extremely High-Performing Coated Spherical Graphite for Lithium Ion Batteries". The results from coin cell performance testing performed on Lac Knife Spherical Graphite ("SPG") produced outstanding performance metric results. The benchmark products have a typical irreversible capacity loss ("ICL") of 6-10% ICL. Lac Knife SPG showed two ICL test results measuring 1.01% and 1.44%, truly remarkable results. Essentially these battery performance tests illustrated that the Irreversible Capacity Loss ("ICL") was reduced by 75% compared to the benchmark products available in the market today.
These tests confirm Focus' capability to tailor lithium ion battery anode grade SPG and value added products to meet the most stringent customer specifications
Lac Knife anode SPG is unique in having such a low ICL performance metric, this could be attributed to the unique properties of the Lac Knife high carbon content concentrate that grades 98% C, even in the finer flake size concentrate products down to 200 mesh (75 microns) that are usually the most difficult products to sell. This holds the potential to allow Focus market access to significantly higher margin value added products with a finer grade lower cost product creating a unique opportunity.
"Commercially and competitively, these results open the door for Focus to confidently accelerate our plans to market and sell our battery grade, high margin products to potential partners and customers," said Mr. Baxter.
Qualified Persons
The technical information within this news release was approved by Project Leader Mary- Jean Buchanan Eng., and Jeffrey Cassoff Eng., Lead Mining Engineer, and Ewald Pengel P. Eng., Senior Metallurgist, who was responsible for concentrator design, all from Met-Chem Canada Inc., and all individuals that are Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 guidelines and all independent of the issuer. Pierre Desautels P.Geo. of AGP Inc. completed the NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate report and is also independent of the issuer.
The technical information in this news release was prepared by Mr. Don Baxter, P. Eng., Focus President & Chief Operating Officer, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 guidelines, who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.
About Focus Graphite
Focus Graphite Inc. is an emerging mining development company with an objective to produce value added products initially for the lithium ion battery market from the Lac Knife graphite deposit located south west of Fermont, Québec. The Lac Knife project hosts a NI 43-101 compliant Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource Estimate* of 9.6 million tonnes grading 14.77% graphitic carbon (Cg) as natural flake graphite with an additional Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate* of 3.1 million tonnes grading 13.25% Cg. Focus' goal is to assume an industry leadership position by becoming a low-cost producer of technology-grade graphite. The feasibility study results released on June 25th, 2014 for the Lac Knife Project indicated that the project is economically viable and has the potential to become a low cost graphite producer based on 7.86 million tonnes of Proven and Probable Reserves grading 15.13 Cg. On May 27, 2014 the Company announced the Potential for High Value Added Sales in the Li-Ion Battery Sector following battery coin cell tests performed on Lac Knife Spherical Graphite ("SPG"). Testing measured the performance metrics and confirmed Focus' capability to tailor lithium ion battery anode grade graphite and value added products to meet the most stringent customer specifications. This is a result of being a technology-oriented enterprise having a vision of building long-term, sustainable shareholder value. Focus also invests in the development of graphene applications and patents through Grafoid Inc.
* Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability
About Met-Chem Canada, Inc.
Met-Chem is an internationally renowned consulting engineering firm established in 1969 to provide all phases of geology, mining, mineral processing and engineering services throughout the world. From its headquarters in Montreal, Met-Chem offers the mining industry professional expertise that covers scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, basic and detailed engineering, procurement and construction management, training, start-up, commissioning and operations assistance.
About Industrial Minerals-DATA
Industrial Minerals ("IM") Data-Graphite is a dedicated pricing and analysis service for the natural graphite market. Tracking over 40 different grades from around the world, IM Data's pricing database supplies up-to-date information which allows for tracking both current and historical trends as far back as 1988. Their analysts, based in London and Shanghai, collect information directly from the industry, providing exclusive insight and market intelligence. With up-to-date pricing data, market analysis and commentary, IM Data Graphite is the only independent source of accurate, detailed and independent information for the natural graphite market.
Forward Looking Statement
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: (i) volatile stock price; (ii) the general global markets and economic conditions; (iii) the possibility of write-downs and impairments; (iv) the risk associated with exploration, development and operation of mineral deposits; (v) the risk associated with establishing title to mineral properties and assets; (vi) the risks associated with entering into joint ventures; (vii) fluctuations in commodity prices; (viii) the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of exploration, development and production; (ix) competition faced by the resulting issuer in securing experienced personnel and financing; (x) access to adequate infrastructure to support mining, processing, development and exploration activities; (xi) the risks associated with changes in the mining regulatory regime governing the resulting issuer; (xii) the risks associated with the various environmental regulations the resulting issuer is subject to; (xiii) risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; (xiv) risks related to potential conflicts of interest; (xv) the reliance on key personnel; (xvi) liquidity risks; (xvii) the risk of potential dilution through the issue of common shares; (xviii) the Company does not anticipate declaring dividends in the near term; (xix) the risk of litigation; and (xx) risk management.
Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued exploration activities, no material adverse change in metal prices, exploration and development plans proceeding in accordance with plans and such plans achieving their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations and exploration plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Contact Information
Focus Graphite Inc.
Mr. Don Baxter, P.Eng
President and Chief Operating Officer
705-789-9706
dbaxter@focusgraphite.com
www.focusgraphite.com
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Focus Graphite Succeeds in Producing Extremely High-Performing Coated Spherical Graphite For Lithium Ion Batteries
Independent Test:Creates the Potential for High Value Sales in the Li-Ion Battery Sector
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 27, 2014) - Focus
Graphite Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FMS)(OTCQX:FCSMF)(FRANKFURT:FKC) ("Focus" or
the "Company") is very pleased to announce the results from coin cell
tests for the lithium ion battery market recently performed on Lac Knife
Spherical Graphite ("SPG").
Focus Graphite is the sole owner of the world-class,
high-grade Lac Knife natural flake graphite project in Quebec. The
Company's aim is to become one of the lowest cost producers of
high-purity technology graphite from a vertically integrated business
strategy.
Testing was conducted by a globally recognized, North
American laboratory with particular expertise in processes related to
lithium ion battery technologies. Its clients are some of the most
advanced technology-related corporations in the world. The laboratory
has completed its testing and has measured the performance properties of
Lac Knife's materials on an environmentally sustainable basis. Focus
Graphite has withheld the name of the laboratory for reasons of
commercial and competitive confidentiality.
Highlights
- Lac Knife SPG battery tests evaluate three proprietary formulations that responded very well to CR2016 coin cell performance testing
- Large, medium and fine micron size produced outstanding performance metrics
- Testing results on the premium medium and fine grades exceed the performance of benchmark commercially available grades by significant percentages.
- Tests confirm Focus' capability to tailor lithium ion battery anode grade graphite and value added products to meet the most stringent customer specifications
| Focus Graphite | Reversible Capacity | Irreversible Capacity Loss | Surface Area | ||
| Coin Cell Test Samples | (Ah/kg) | (%) | (m2/g) | ||
| Coarse Carbon Coated SPG Grade (D90=42um) | 362.1 | 6.80 | % | 0.64 | % |
| Medium Carbon Coated SPG Grade (D50=24um) | 363.7 | 1.44 | % | 0.48 | % |
| Fine Carbon Coated SPG Grade (D50=17um) | 365.1 | 1.01 | % | 1.14 | % |
A benchmark commercial grade of SPG provided a reversible
capacity (RC) in the range of 345 to 355 Ah/kg and an irreversible
capacity loss (ICL) of 6.5 %, a significantly higher loss compared to
the 1.44% and 1.01% ICL for Lac Knife's medium and fine grade samples
shown above.
In Lockstep With Industry
"Recent comments by leading North American auto makers
signalled two significant market realities," said Focus CEO and Director
Gary Economo.
"The first is the need to lower the costs of battery
materials to encourage broader consumer interest in moving to electric
vehicles. The second is that the potential North American battery market
may well enjoy a much larger than anticipated growth in demand," Mr.
Economo said.
"Again, these results add another layer of material value
that holds the potential to de-risk even further our global enterprise
goals," he said.
A detailed summary of the SPG tests is provided below.
SPG grades developed by Focus Graphite may help to solve one
of the more difficult challenges holding back market growth for Li Ion
batteries, "Increasing cycling capacity." One
of the problems in using carbon based materials in Li Ion batteries is
that it results in the formation of a Solid Electrolyte Interface
("SEI") layer which produces an irreversible capacity loss which
generally ranges between 5 and 10% for benchmark SPG grades currently
available in the market place.
Irreversible capacity loss means that a portion of the
valuable lithium and graphite is wasted. Thus the efficiency is reduced
and the cost increased. Lac Knife anode graphite is unique in having
such a low loss.
Two premium (medium and fine) grade SPG's developed by Focus
have achieved First Cycle Irreversible Capacity Losses of 1.44% and
1.01%, respectively, truly remarkable results. These lower ICL values of
the SPG grades produced by Focus can lead to the production of higher
capacity and longer life Li Ion batteries.
Furthermore, the low surface areas of the premium coated
grades of SPG at 0.48 and 1.14% m2/g can help to improve the safety of
Li Ion batteries. The use of higher surface area carbons in these
batteries can cause the temperature of the battery to increase and
possibly result in the occurrence of thermal runaways.
Figure 1:
The following Galvanostatic charge-discharge curve for the fine SPG
grade illustrates the very promising nature of the Lac Knife
concentrate. To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/fms-figure1.pdf.
This material has demonstrated a reversible capacity of
365.08 Ah/kg and an irreversible capacity loss of an ultra low 1.01%.
The performance metric is calculated between the two curves in the chart
above is the difference between 368.8 and 365.08 on a percentage basis.
Approximately an 80% improvement over commercial benchmark grades was
achieved.
The unique properties of the Lac Knife high carbon content
concentrate that grades 98% C even in the finer grade products down to
200 mesh (75 microns) that are usually the most difficult products to
sell. This holds the potential to allow Focus market access to
significantly higher margin value added products with a finer grade
lower cost product creating a unique opportunity. Additionally, Focus
plans to offer the higher value large flake to other growing markets.
The -100 mesh size (150 microns), 98% C and +65 mesh size
(230 microns) flake products spheronize very well establishing a unique
Lac Knife concentrate quality.
Potentially these excellent Irreversible Capacity Loss
("ICL") results from the Lac Knife high quality flake uncoated
concentrate are due to low reactivity at the flake edges compared to
other graphite concentrates underlying its inherent value as a feed to
the secondary battery market in a green technology revolution.
Also included in the study is a scanning electron
photomicrograph of the 99.98 % purified high purity large flake graphite
(See Figure 2 below) produced on both a laboratory and pilot plant
scale from 98% C Lac Knife +65 mesh flake concentrate. This
photomicrograph indicates that the Lac Knife concentrates are uniquely
suited to produce high purity lithium ion battery grade graphite. What
is important to note is that Lac Knife graphite concentrate consists of
very pure graphite flakes with impurities located on the surface of the
flakes.
Figure 2: Photomicrograph of Thermally Purified Flake Graphite showing exceptionally clean surfaces and grading 99.98% C. To view Figure 2, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/fms-figure2.pdf.
Such surface impurities can be removed by using less
expensive technologies. In the most competitive concentrates on the
market, the impurities are intercalated or sandwiched within the layers
and are more difficult to remove requiring higher cost processing
methods during purification.
Figure 3: Photomicrograph of Thermally Purified Spherical Graphite grading 99.9% C. To view Figure 3, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/fms-figure3.pdf.
The quality of the Lac Knife concentrate is continuing to
create the potential for increased margins through to value added
products and confirms the Company's plan to evaluate the potential of
secondary transformation for as much of the Lac Knife production as is
possible. The potential for increased margins from the secondary
transformation of graphite concentrate is not included in the current
Preliminary Economic Assessment for the project.
Current prices for coated, spherical graphite are at the
$8,000 per tonne point. This compares to $20,000 per tonne for battery
grade synthetic graphite, the only alternative for the anode in the
battery.
"Commercially and competitively, these results open the door
for Focus to confidently accelerate our plans to market and sell our
battery grade, high margin products to potential partners and
customers," said Focus President and COO Don Baxter.
"The data presented validates Lac Knife's potential to
become a North American source of low-cost high purity flake graphite
concentrate that could, possibly, lead to the production of batteries
with better performance," Mr. Baxter stated.
"Further, these results enable us to continue with our
vision of producing value added products. In particular, Focus' Director
of Manufacturing and Technology Dr. Joseph Doninger and our Consultant,
Mr. George Hawley have the capability to lead Focus through the
development of various lithium ion battery products with the aim of
building higher margin applications and downstream products" Mr. Baxter
said.
Dr. Doninger said: "The Lac Knife premium medium and fine
grades of coated SPG at 1.44% and 1.01% first cycle irreversible
capacity losses and 0.48 and 1.14 m2/g surface areas are better than any
similar sized SPGs that I've ever seen."
Battery manufacturers require a cost competitive alternative
to current sources of natural SPG. China produces about 90% of the
world's purified natural SPG, utilizing methods that are generally
regarded as environmentally unsustainable.
Qualified Persons
Don Baxter, P. Eng., Focus President & Chief Operating
Officer, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 guidelines, has
reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.
Focus Graphite Inc. is an emerging mid-tier junior mining
development company, a technology solutions supplier and a business
innovator. Focus is the owner of the Lac Knife graphite deposit located
in the Côte-Nord region of north-eastern Québec. The Lac Knife project
hosts a NI 43-101 compliant Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource
Estimate* of 9.6 million tons grading 14.77% graphitic carbon (Cg) as
crystalline graphite with an additional Inferred Mineral Resource
Estimate* of 3.1 million tons grading 13.25% Cg of crystalline graphite.
Focus' goal is to assume an industry leadership position by becoming a
low-cost producer of technology-grade graphite. On November 7, 2013 the
Company released the results of an updated Preliminary Economic
Assessment ("PEA") of the Lac Knife Project that indicated that the
project has very good potential to become a graphite producer. As a
technology-oriented enterprise with a view to building long-term,
sustainable shareholder value, Focus also invests in the development of
graphene applications and patents through Grafoid Inc.
* Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability
Forward Looking Statement
This News Release contains "forward-looking information"
within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All information
contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute
forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking
information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology
such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected",
"budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends",
"anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of
such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results
"may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be
achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual
results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company
to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking information, including but not limited to: (i) volatile
stock price; (ii) the general global markets and economic conditions;
(iii) the possibility of write-downs and impairments; (iv) the risk
associated with exploration, development and operations of mineral
deposits; (v) the risk associated with establishing title to mineral
properties and assets; (vi)the risks associated with entering into joint
ventures; (vii) fluctuations in commodity prices; (viii) the risks
associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of
exploration, development and production; (ix) competition faced by the
resulting issuer in securing experienced personnel and financing; (x)
access to adequate infrastructure to support mining, processing,
development and exploration activities; (xi) the risks associated with
changes in the mining regulatory regime governing the resulting issuer;
(xii) the risks associated with the various environmental regulations
the resulting issuer is subject to; (xiii) risks related to regulatory
and permitting delays; (xiv) risks related to potential conflicts of
interest; (xv) the reliance on key personnel; (xvi) liquidity risks;
(xvii) the risk of potential dilution through the issue of common
shares; (xviii) the Company does not anticipate declaring dividends in
the near term; (xix) the risk of litigation; and (xx) risk management.
Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes
to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not
limited to, continued exploration activities, no material adverse
change in metal prices, exploration and development plans proceeding in
accordance with plans and such plans achieving their stated expected
outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other
assumptions and factors as set out herein.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations and exploration plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this News Release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, operations and exploration plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this News Release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Contact Information
-
Focus Graphite Inc.
Mr. Don Baxter, P.Eng
President and Chief Operating Officer
705-789-9706
dbaxter@focusgraphite.com
www.focusgraphite.com
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Lithium Americas gets final approval for worlds third largest Lithium deposit
Ed Note: Lithium Americas (LAC-TSE) was spun off by Latin American Minerals (TSE-LAT) which still owns almost 30% of LAC.
TORONTO,
Canada, December 12, 2012 - Lithium Americas Corp. (TSX: LAC) (OTCQX: LHMAF)
(“Lithium Americas” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has
received final project approval for the construction of its Cauchari-Olaroz
lithium/potash
project.
Upon
the recommendation of the Committee of Experts, the Jujuy Government has
executed the final decree, through the joint resolution of the Production
Minister and Secretary to the Government, which approved the development of
Lithium Americas’ Cauchari-Olaroz project.
Such approval includes water use permitting, confirmation of mining
licences in good standing, environmental approval for lithium and potash
production, and all other permits required to start project
construction.
“Lithium Americas is very proud of advancing
the Cauchari-Olaroz project from discovery and exploration, through development,
to fully permitted in just short of 4 years,”
stated Dr. Waldo Perez,
President and CEO of Lithium Americas. "We continue to receive an enormous level
of support from multiple constituencies in Argentina. We have worked extremely
hard to garner this support, which has served to accelerate the permitting and
development of Cauchari-Olaroz, as well as further de-risk the project. With the
permitting process concluded, our next milestone is securing project financing
and off take agreements, which will allow us to initiate project construction in
2013.”
About
the
Company
Lithium
Americas is developing one of the world’s largest and lowest cost lithium
operations.
The Company has defined the world’s third largest lithium brine resource, and a
completed definitive Feasibility Study identified that Lithium Americas’
operating cost per tonne of lithium carbonate is expected to be one of the
lowest in the industry. Mitsubishi
Corporation and Magna International are shareholders in the Company, in addition
to both companies having off-take arrangements with Lithium Americas.
For more information please contact:
Mike
Cosic, Chief Financial Officer
mcosic@lithiumamericas.com
416-360-1921
or
visit www.lithiumamericas.com
Cautionary
Note and Forward-Looking Statements
This
press release contains forward looking statements, which can be identified by
the use of statements that include
words
such as "plan", “developing”, “estimate”, "could", "potential", "believe",
"expect", "anticipate", "intend", "likely", "will" or other similar
words
or phrases. Forward-looking statements express, as at the date of this press
release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations,
or beliefs as to future events or results. Forward-looking statements are based
on certain assumptions, including the key assumptions and parameters on which
such estimates are based, involve risks and uncertainties and there can be no
assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual
results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such
statements. Factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from
current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements,
include, but are not limited to, possible variations in mineral resource and
reserve estimates, grade/concentration or recovery rates, lithium or potash
prices, operating or capital costs; availability of sufficient financing to fund
planned or further required work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms;
changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; failure of
equipment or processes to operate as anticipated or other unanticipated
difficulties or interruptions; political, community relations, regulatory,
environmental and other risks of the mining industry and other risks more fully
described in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated May 28, 2012 and its most recent management’s discussion and analysis
available on SEDAR. The Cauchari-Olaroz project has no operating
history upon which to base estimates of future cash flow. The capital
expenditures and time required to develop any new project is considerable and
changes in capital and/or operating costs or construction schedules can affect
project economics. It is possible that actual capital and/or operating costs may
increase significantly and economic returns may differ materially from the
Company’s estimates or that prices of lithium and/or potash may decrease
significantly or that the Company could fail to obtain or maintain governmental
approvals necessary for the operation of its project or obtain project financing
on acceptable terms and conditions or at all, in which case, the project may not
proceed either on its original timing or at all. It is not unusual in the mining
industry for new mining operations to experience unexpected problems during the
start-up phase, resulting in delays and requiring more capital than anticipated.
Although
the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contained in forward looking statements,
there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from
those planned, estimated, forecasted, projected or expected. The Company does
not intend, and does not assume any obligations, to update
forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless
otherwise required by applicable securities laws. Readers should not place undue
reliance on forward looking statements.
Lithium Americas
357 Bay Street, Suite 602
Toronto Ontario M5H2T7
Canada
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Focus Graphite Announces R&D Agreement Between Grafoid Inc. and Hydro-Quebec's IREQ for Next Generation LFP-Graphene Batteries
20 hours ago by Marketwire Focus Graphite Inc (TSX VENTURE: FMS)(OTCQX: FCSMF)(FRANKFURT: FKC)
is pleased to announce that Grafoid Inc. - in which Focus Graphite
holds a 40% ownership stake - has executed a three-year research and
development agreement with Hydro-Quebec's Research Institute for the
development of next generation rechargeable batteries using graphene
with lithium iron phosphate materials.
Focus Graphite President and CEO Gary Economo, who holds the same position with Grafoid, announced the signing of the joint R&D agreement with Dr. Karim Zaghib, Director Storage and Conversion of Energy at Hydro-Quebec's research and development division, l'Institut de recherche d'Hydro-Quebec (IREQ).
The 50-50 collaborative agreement sets out terms with the objective of creating patentable inventions by combining graphene, supplied by Grafoid, with Hydro-Quebec's patented lithium iron phosphate technologies.
Two key, specific commercial target markets - the rechargeable automobile battery sectors and batteries for mobile electronic devices used in smartphones, computing tablets and laptop computers - were identified in the agreement.
Hydro-Quebec will study Grafoid's graphene conductivity, electrochemical performance and its effects in electrode formulations, electrolyte and separator optimizations. Detailed characterizations of Grafoid's supplied materials will be undertaken at IREQ's cutting edge facilities using its advanced electron microscopy, spectrographic and other in-house technologies.
Hydro-Quebec will also supply lithium iron phosphate materials and its electrochemistry know how which it acquired under license from famed American inventor Dr. John Goodenough.
Grafoid, in addition to providing graphene materials, brings knowledge acquired during its own development of functionalized graphene and its experience in proving graphene's economic scalability.
"This agreement is noteworthy for numerous reasons," said Mr. Economo.
"This is our first major graphene collaboration with a Quebec and a
Canadian global giant in renewable energy research and development.
And the source of our graphene is Focus Graphite's Lac Knife, Quebec
technology graphite deposit.
"Commercially, and ultimately, our technology development partnership with Hydro-Quebec aims to produce high capacity, LFP-graphene batteries with ultra short charging times and longer recyclable lifetimes," Mr. Economo said.
He said the parties chose to focus their collaboration on LFP-graphene batteries and materials because of their short-term-to-market potential.
About Focus Graphite
Focus Graphite Inc. is an emerging mid-tier junior mining development company, a technology solutions supplier and a business innovator. Focus is the owner of the Lac Knife graphite deposit located in the Cote-Nord region of northeastern Quebec. The Lac Knife project hosts a NI 43-101 compliant Measured and Indicated mineral resource of 4.972 Mt grading 15.7% carbon as crystalline graphite with an additional Inferred mineral resource of 3.000 Mt grading 15.6% crystalline graphite Focus' goal is to assume an industry leadership position by becoming a low-cost producer of technology-grade graphite. On October 29th, 2012 the Company released the results of a Preliminary Economic Analysis ("PEA") of the Lac Knife project which demonstrates that the project has robust economics and excellent potential to become a profitable producer of graphite. As a technology-oriented enterprise with a view to building long-term, sustainable shareholder value, Focus Graphite is also investing in the development of graphene applications and patents through Grafoid Inc.
About Grafoid Inc.
Grafoid, Inc. is a privately held Canadian corporation investing in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed, graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc., holds a 40% interest in Grafoid Inc.
About IREQ
Hydro-Quebec's research institute, IREQ, is a global leader in the development of advanced materials for battery manufacturing and creates leading edge processes from its state of the art facilities. IREQ holds more than 100 patent rights and has issued over 40 licenses for battery materials to some of the world's most successful battery manufacturers and materials suppliers. Its areas of expertise include energy storage and IREQ is a lead partner with private sector companies in Quebec to build EV and HEV charging stations in support of its technology developments. Its material development contributions are helping to develop safe, high-performance lithium ion batteries that can be charged more quickly and a greater number of times. IREQ promotes open innovation and partners with private firms, universities, government agencies and research centers in Quebec and abroad. Its partnerships allow IREQ to develop, industrialize and market technologies resulting from those innovation projects.
About Hydro-Quebec
Hydro-Quebec is Canada's largest electricity producer among the world's largest hydroelectric power producers and a public utility that generates, transmits and distributes electricity. Its sole shareholder is the Quebec government. It primarily exploits renewable generating options, in particular hydropower, and supports the development of wind energy through purchases from independent power producers. Its research institute, IREQ, conducts R&D in energy efficiency, energy storage and other energy-related fields. Hydro-Quebec invests more than $100 million per year in research.
Focus Graphite President and CEO Gary Economo, who holds the same position with Grafoid, announced the signing of the joint R&D agreement with Dr. Karim Zaghib, Director Storage and Conversion of Energy at Hydro-Quebec's research and development division, l'Institut de recherche d'Hydro-Quebec (IREQ).
The 50-50 collaborative agreement sets out terms with the objective of creating patentable inventions by combining graphene, supplied by Grafoid, with Hydro-Quebec's patented lithium iron phosphate technologies.
Two key, specific commercial target markets - the rechargeable automobile battery sectors and batteries for mobile electronic devices used in smartphones, computing tablets and laptop computers - were identified in the agreement.
Hydro-Quebec will study Grafoid's graphene conductivity, electrochemical performance and its effects in electrode formulations, electrolyte and separator optimizations. Detailed characterizations of Grafoid's supplied materials will be undertaken at IREQ's cutting edge facilities using its advanced electron microscopy, spectrographic and other in-house technologies.
Hydro-Quebec will also supply lithium iron phosphate materials and its electrochemistry know how which it acquired under license from famed American inventor Dr. John Goodenough.
Grafoid, in addition to providing graphene materials, brings knowledge acquired during its own development of functionalized graphene and its experience in proving graphene's economic scalability.
"This agreement is noteworthy for numerous reasons," said Mr. Economo.
"Commercially, and ultimately, our technology development partnership with Hydro-Quebec aims to produce high capacity, LFP-graphene batteries with ultra short charging times and longer recyclable lifetimes," Mr. Economo said.
He said the parties chose to focus their collaboration on LFP-graphene batteries and materials because of their short-term-to-market potential.
About Focus Graphite
Focus Graphite Inc. is an emerging mid-tier junior mining development company, a technology solutions supplier and a business innovator. Focus is the owner of the Lac Knife graphite deposit located in the Cote-Nord region of northeastern Quebec. The Lac Knife project hosts a NI 43-101 compliant Measured and Indicated mineral resource of 4.972 Mt grading 15.7% carbon as crystalline graphite with an additional Inferred mineral resource of 3.000 Mt grading 15.6% crystalline graphite Focus' goal is to assume an industry leadership position by becoming a low-cost producer of technology-grade graphite. On October 29th, 2012 the Company released the results of a Preliminary Economic Analysis ("PEA") of the Lac Knife project which demonstrates that the project has robust economics and excellent potential to become a profitable producer of graphite. As a technology-oriented enterprise with a view to building long-term, sustainable shareholder value, Focus Graphite is also investing in the development of graphene applications and patents through Grafoid Inc.
About Grafoid Inc.
Grafoid, Inc. is a privately held Canadian corporation investing in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed, graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc., holds a 40% interest in Grafoid Inc.
About IREQ
Hydro-Quebec's research institute, IREQ, is a global leader in the development of advanced materials for battery manufacturing and creates leading edge processes from its state of the art facilities. IREQ holds more than 100 patent rights and has issued over 40 licenses for battery materials to some of the world's most successful battery manufacturers and materials suppliers. Its areas of expertise include energy storage and IREQ is a lead partner with private sector companies in Quebec to build EV and HEV charging stations in support of its technology developments. Its material development contributions are helping to develop safe, high-performance lithium ion batteries that can be charged more quickly and a greater number of times. IREQ promotes open innovation and partners with private firms, universities, government agencies and research centers in Quebec and abroad. Its partnerships allow IREQ to develop, industrialize and market technologies resulting from those innovation projects.
About Hydro-Quebec
Hydro-Quebec is Canada's largest electricity producer among the world's largest hydroelectric power producers and a public utility that generates, transmits and distributes electricity. Its sole shareholder is the Quebec government. It primarily exploits renewable generating options, in particular hydropower, and supports the development of wind energy through purchases from independent power producers. Its research institute, IREQ, conducts R&D in energy efficiency, energy storage and other energy-related fields. Hydro-Quebec invests more than $100 million per year in research.
Contacts: Focus Graphite Inc. Mr. Gary Economo President and CEO 613-691-1091 ext. 101 geconomo@focusgraphite.comSOURCE: Focus Graphite Inc.
mailto:geconomo@focusgraphite.com
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