• Anode material produced using Sovereign Metals’ Kasiya graphite feedstock have proven to be suitable for battery production
  • Testing found that Kasiya CSPG is comparable to the highest quality battery material produced by Chinese anode manufacturers
  • First cycle efficiencies of 94.2% to 95.8% achieved along with initial discharge capacity of 362-364mAh/g

 

Special Report: Sovereign Metals has once again demonstrated why its Kasiya project in Malawi is a low-cost alternative to Chinese graphite supply following successful testing of battery anode material produced using Kasiya feedstock.

Electrochemical testing of very high quality coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG) anode material produced from Kasiya graphite concentrate by German independent consultancy ProGraphite successfully achieved first cycle efficiencies of 94.2% to 95.8%.

This is hugely significant for Sovereign Metals (ASX:SVM), which is backed by Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO), as results above 95% are a key specification for highest quality natural graphite anode materials under the Chinese standard.

It also has performance characteristics comparable to CSPG sourced from leading Chinese natural graphite anode materials manufacturers such as BTR New Material Group.

This is demonstrated by the Kasiya anode material having initial discharge capacity ranging from 362 to 364mAh/g, which is greater than the 360mAh required for highest quality natural graphite anode materials, and very low specific surface areas (BET) of less than or equal to 2m2/g – minimising the loss of lithium in the first charging cycle.

Additionally, tap densities of 1.11 to 1.18g/cm3 translates into higher electrical storage.

The CSPG was produced by pitch coating and carbonising spherical graphite with 99.99% purity that was in turn produced by spheronisation and purification test work on Kasiya natural flake graphite, the very major co-product from the rutile project.

“These results confirm that Kasiya graphite concentrate will be an excellent anode material feedstock to the battery industry. Not only is the weathered, saprolite-hosted graphite easy to purify to very high grades, the anode material produced meets the highest industry specifications,” managing director Frank Eagar said.

“Along with the very low BET specific surface area and high tap densities (both resulting in excellent first cycle efficiencies and initial battery discharge capacities), Kasiya has the potential to become a dominant source of graphite supply ex-China.

“Combining these excellent results with one of the largest graphite resources globally, industry low operating costs and lowest global warming potential, Kasiya is presenting significant advantages over its graphite peers.”

 

Kasiya graphite advantages

The outstanding results are likely due to the unique geological setting of the highly weathered Kasiya orebody compared to fresh rock hosted graphite deposit.

This setting has resulted in the high purity of the natural flake, near perfect crystallinity, and very low levels of sulphur and other impurities.

All this is music to SVM’s ears and bodes well for future development of Kasiya, which is both the largest natural rutile deposit and one of the largest flake graphite deposits in the world with a resource of 1.8Bt grading 1.4% graphite and 1% rutile, over 66% of which is in the higher confidence indicated category.

Its economics also look robust with a pre-feasibility study carried out last year for a project producing 222,000tpa of rutile and 244,000tpa of graphite across a 25-year mine life expected to generate after-tax NPV of US$1.6bn and IRR of 28%.

 

Road ahead

Further optimisation test work for anode materials is planned, using additional graphite concentrate currently being generated at a pilot-scale in South Africa.

This material will also be used to provide offtaker evaluation samples.

Meanwhile, a program for assessing Kasiya concentrate for traditional refractories and foundry applications has also been developed. The coarse component of the pilot plant concentrate will be used for this test work program.

On the exploration front, infill drilling is currently underway to upgrade existing indicated resources to the measured category, the highest level of geologic knowledge and confidence.

Results of the drilling program and subsequent resource upgrade are expected in early 2025.

SVM has also started a hydraulic mining trial as part of the ongoing optimisation study that will feed into the definitive feasibility study.

Outcomes from this trial will be compared with those from the successful dry mining trial in July 2024 that found that the project can be efficiently mined using standard mobile excavators and trucks.

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Sovereign Metals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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