Road towards battery anode production proven at International Graphite’s Collie pilot plant

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has demonstrated high-quality spheroidised product can be produced at the recently commissioned pilot-scale plant.

The pilot facility is one of the first operations of its size to produce micronised and spheroidised material for battery anodes in Australia and has delivered promising initial results as well as product specifications.

Characteristics such as the size of the spheroids and well-shaped ‘potato’ particles are highly desirable for battery anode production, International Graphite (ASX:IG6) says.

The pilot plant firstly micronises the graphite concentrate from a size of around 100 microns to a size of around 10 microns, representing a key step in the company’s capability and plans to produce Battery Anode Materials (BAM) for the growing lithium-ion battery market.

Beginning of downstream graphite anode tech

“These results are outstanding,” IG6 executive chairman Phil Hearse says.

“Our technical knowledge of downstream graphite processing is now being enhanced by hands-on operating experience with equipment that we expect to install in our future BAM facility.

“These outcomes are the beginning of downstream graphite anode technology being applied in the Australian battery industry and International Graphite will continue to grow its knowledge and experience in the production of battery anode materials as we head towards future commercial operations.”

What else is on the cards?

International Graphite has also taken delivery of a speciality high temperature furnace and will be investigating thermal purification as an alternative to traditional alkali or acid-based purification methods.

Micronised and spheroidised graphite is purified to >99.95% and then coated, turning it into a smooth and highly conductive material suitable for lithium-ion battery anodes.

In the future, the company intends to establish a vertically integrated operation with the Collie downstream plant processing graphite concentrates produced at the Springdale Graphite Project, near Hopetoun in Western Australia.

The micronised and spheroidised graphite product will then be purified and is also expected to be coated to produce a finished product suitable for lithium-ion battery anodes

This article was developed in collaboration with International Graphite, 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.