TIDMALBA
RNS Number : 3945D
Alba Mineral Resources PLC
19 February 2020
Alba Mineral Resources plc
("Alba" or the "Company")
Alba Appoints Graphite Experts for Battery Testwork
Alba Mineral Resources plc (AIM: ALBA), the diversified mineral
exploration and development company, i s pleased to report the
appointment of leading graphite experts, ProGraphite GmbH
("ProGraphite") for the next phase of testwork at our high-grade
Amitsoq graphite project, in southern Greenland.
Whereas the last phase of the Company's testwork successfully
focused on maximising the yield of higher-value large flakes, the
focus of the new testwork will be on assessing the most efficient
and optimised method for the production of material for lithium-ion
battery ("LIB") anode testwork. The flake size of the graphite used
to produce LIB anode material is less relevant, as the graphite is
micronized to less than 30 micron prior to shaping and
purification. Consequently, the recovery of larger flake graphite
is not an objective for this testwork.
Highlights
-- The next phase of testwork at the high-grade Amitsoq Graphite
Project will focus on the production of material for LIB anode
testwork.
-- Alba has secured the appointment of leading German graphite
experts, ProGraphite, to conduct this phase of testwork.
-- This testwork is distinct from the last phase of work, which
confirmed the ability of Amitsoq graphite to produce a concentrate
containing a significant proportion (36%) of flakes in the
higher-value large, jumbo and super jumbo flake sizes.
George Frangeskides, Executive Chairman, commented:
"I am delighted that we have been able to secure the expertise
of Dr Christoph Frey and his team at ProGraphite in Germany to
oversee the next phase of testwork at our high-grade Amitsoq
graphite project."
"Given the premium prices attached to the spherical graphite
that is used in battery applications (upwards of $3000 per tonne),
it is certainly well worth assessing whether Amitsoq graphite is
amenable to the production of a high purity product which can be
used in lithium-ion batteries, as this will add another,
increasingly important market for our product."
Description of LIB Testwork Programme
The testwork conducted by ProGraphite will have three distinct
phases:
(1) Flotation of ore. This will involve:
(a) crushing, grinding and homogenising, to prepare feed material for the flotation;
(b) optical inspection of the feed material for flake sizes etc, carbon test of the ore;
(c) multistage flotation including several stages of grinding and/or attritioning; and
(d) quality checks (mainly carbon) during flotation.
(2) Quality assessment of flotation concentrate. This will
involve:
(a) particle size distribution by sieving;
(b) Carbon% of concentrate and of sieve fractions;
(c) specific surface area;
(d) bulk density;
(e) XRF or ICP (for analysis of the impurities after flotation);
(f) XRD (analysis of gangue minerals and degree of graphitisation); and
(g) TGA (thermogravimetry for oxidation behaviour).
(3) Analysis of LIB purity. Using the concentrate obtained from
flotation, the material's suitability for lithium-ion batteries by
applying two different purification methods (the target being
Carbon% of +99.9%):
(a) Standard HF (hydrofluoric acid) route (including ICP or XRF
for the quantitative analysis of the remaining impurities); and
(b) Alkaline route (including ICP or XRF for the quantitative
analysis of the remaining impurities).
A decision to proceed with the third phase above will follow the
completion of the first and second phases. This work will enable
Alba to refine its assessment of the possible applications of the
graphite concentrate and specifically the suitability of Amitsoq
material for the production of spherical graphite for LIB. Based on
those results, the Company will make a determination regarding the
implementation of a further phase of testwork targeting the
production of spherical graphite, known as spheronization.
About Graphite
Graphite is a non-toxic, chemically inert material. Additional
characteristics of graphite are its high electric and thermic
conductivity, excellent lubricity and exceptional thermal shock
resistance. These characteristics mean that graphite is widely used
in a variety of industrial applications. However, graphite is also
an essential component in certain critical technological advances
that are at the forefront of the drive to reduce global CO (2)
emissions. In particular, graphite is the anode material in
lithium-ion batteries which are used to power electric vehicles and
domestic electricity storage systems.
About High Purity Spherical Graphite for the Battery Metals
Sector
According to Roskill, current global graphite demand is
accounted for by the following product markets: electrodes (30%),
refractories (18%), recarburising (12%), batteries (10%),
lubricants (7%), foundries (6%), other (17%). However, Roskill have
forecast that by 2029 batteries will account for 26% of the global
demand for graphite. (Roskill, "Battery and electric vehicle raw
materials insights" presentation, London, 29 October 2019).
To meet battery cell manufacturers' specifications for use as
the anode in lithium-ion batteries, the natural flake graphite must
be purified and shaped into small spheres, at which point the
material is referred to a High Purity Spherical Graphite ("HPSG").
After shaping, the natural flake graphite is purified by chemical
leaching to remove impurities and raise the carbon content to above
99.95% C. HPSG is further processed by coating a single layer of
carbon onto the spheres to produce spherical coated graphite.
(www.leadingedgematerials.com)
According to Roskill, flake graphite concentrate typically
commands a price of $650-850/t, whereas uncoated spherical graphite
commands $3000-4000/t and coated spherical commands +$7000/t.
(Roskill presentation, 29 October 2019, as above).
About ProGraphite
Headquartered in Germany, ProGraphite GmbH offers professional
expertise in natural graphite and other carbon products, acquired
during several decades of working in the graphite industry
worldwide. ProGraphite's business activities include consulting,
laboratory and mineralogical services. Additionally, due to its
extensive experience in the graphite sector, ProGraphite supports
customers and end users to evaluate the optimal graphite type and
grade for their specific projects.
Glossary
ICP (inductively coupled plasma spectrometry): ICP uses a plasma
source to vaporise a sample so that it breaks down into its
individual atoms or ions. This excites the sample so that the atoms
or ions emit photons at specific frequencies/wavelengths. A
detector measures the intensity of the emitted light and from this
the quantity of each atom in the sample can be calculated.
TGA (thermogravimetric analysis or thermal gravimetric
analysis): a method of thermal analysis in which the mass of a
sample is measured over time as the temperature changes.
XRD (x-ray diffraction): a rapid analytical technique primarily
used for phase identification of a crystalline material and can
provide information on unit cell dimensions. The analysed material
is finely ground, homogenized, and average bulk composition is
determined.
XRF (x-ray fluorescence): an x-ray optical analysis technique
which is based on spectroscopic detection of fluorescence of atoms
which are excited by x-rays. It is an elemental analysis technique
which is able to confirm the concentration of different elements in
a sample.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.
For further information, please contact:
Alba Mineral Resources plc
George Frangeskides, Executive Chairman +44 20 3907 4297
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nomad)
James Caithie / Liam Murray +44 20 7213 0880
First Equity Limited (Broker)
Jason Robertson +44 20 7374 2212
Alba's Project and Investment Portfolio
Project (commodity) Location Ownership
Mining Projects
Amitsoq (graphite) Greenland 90%
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Clogau (gold) Wales 90%
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Inglefield (copper, cobalt,
gold) Greenland 100%
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Limerick (zinc-lead) Ireland 100%
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Melville Bay (iron ore) Greenland 51%
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TBS (ilmenite) Greenland 100%
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Oil & Gas Investments
Brockham (oil) England 5%
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Horse Hill (oil) England 11.765%
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END
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