International Graphite has taken a further step towards becoming a commercial producer of graphite end products by ordering a micronising qualification scale plant to be installed at its downstream processing facilities in Collie, Western Australia.
The significant piece of equipment is capable of producing between 100 and 200 tonnes per annum of graphite micronised products, depending on product size, when operated on a continuous basis.
This qualification scale equipment aims to demonstrate the company’s ability to produce
micronised graphite products at the level of quality control necessary to secure customer sales agreements for these products and ultimately support a commitment to expand to commercial scale facilities.
Micronising graphite concentrates is also a critical first step in the production of purified and coated spheroidised graphite for battery anode materials production. As such, the plan to produce micronised graphite products serves two purposes for the company; firstly, it will provide the required technical competence in the first step of production of battery anode material (BAM), and secondly, it will provide a potential income stream from the sale of specialised micronised products prior to the planned sale of BAM.
The equipment is being sourced from a North American supplier — a world-renowned
engineering house specialising in milling systems. Delivery to Collie is scheduled for mid-2023 with installation and commissioning expected to take three months.
The qualification scale equipment is the next step towards a commitment to build and operate a commercial scale micronising facility in Collie.
The company is targeting commercial process equipment capable of a nominal production rate of 3000tpa to be established in a new facility in Collie. The commercial scale equipment is an expansion of the qualification equipment.
Product from the qualification plant is expected to be to the same specifications as will be achieved from the commercial scale plant.
Commercial operations would initially treat third party graphite concentrates, with the goal of processing concentrates from the company’s 100 per cent owned Springdale Graphite project once the Springdale project is developed.
Purified micronised graphite can be sold as a conductive additive to battery cathodes, as an intermediate product used in the production of purified spheroidised graphite, or in a wide range of industrial applications.
Chairman Phil Hearse said this was another key milestone in International Graphite’s development to be an Australian graphite products manufacturer.
“Prospective customers will be provided with graphite product from this plant for qualification. Development of an industrial graphite market will complement our plans to establish a vertically integrated battery anode material industry in WA,” he said.
International Graphite continues down the development path for its Springdale project to
produce concentrate as feedstock for future battery anode production in Collie.
Editor of industrial titles and mastheads with Prime Creative Media. Publications include Rail Express and Australian Mining (web content). View all posts by Ray Chan
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