International Graphite Limited announced that it has achieved promising initial results and product specifications for the first product samples produced at its recently-commissioned pilot-scale micronising and spheroidising plant at Collie, in Western Australia. The pilot plant firstly micronises the graphite concentrate from a size of around 100 microns to a size of around 10 microns. The company 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, International Graphite intends to establish a vertically integrated operation with the Collie downstream plant processing graphite concentrates produced at the Company's 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.

Production of a coated BAM product in Australia for export to global anode manufacturers would capture the full value of the graphite resource.