JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Commercial-scale testwork at ASX-listed Kibaran Resources’ Tanzania-based Epanko project continues to confirm the high quality of the graphite.
The testwork results will assist in determining processing routes and sales prices, while also helping to underpin studies to expand Epanko’s planned production capacity by 50% to 60 000 t/y of graphite concentrate.
The results will be central to Kibaran‘s feasibility study on downstream processing of its graphite concentrate to produce spherical graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries.
Thus far, processing of a 200 t bulk sample, through a commercial-scale plant, as returned results which replicate those of the bankable feasibility study pilot-scale testwork. It also demonstrated “excellent” liberation of Epanko ore through simple flotation in a large-scale production test.
Analysis of the final concentrate shows carbon levels of more than 96% in the large-size fractions of +50, +80 and +100 mesh, while smaller flake fractions of -100 mesh (-150 micron) have a carbon content of 95%.
The commercial-scale flotation test was aimed at providing sufficient concentrate for use in production-scale battery grade testwork and other end uses being targeted by Kibaran.
The results have also provided further confirmation of the high quality of Epanko ore, which means it requires less grinding and flotation compared with many other graphite ores.
This ultimately means simpler and lower cost processing and the preservation of large flake size in concentrate with less grinding.
Commercial-scale testwork is also is now under way for the production of battery graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries. The product specification is provided from Japanese partner Sojitz Corporation and will be prepared in accordance with the leading anode material producers from Japan and Korea.
The testwork will also evaluate coated and uncoated spherical graphite.
Meanwhile, Kibaran successfully produced expandable graphite through a leading producer of superior quality graphite foil.
The company delivered purified +50 mesh flake, which was then converted at the foil manufacturer’s facilities with their standard process to expandable graphite.
The graphite was subsequently expanded with the test showing exceptional characteristics, such as low content of halogens of the purified graphite, which is a key requirement for high-tech graphite foils.
The advantage of Kibaran’s graphite from the Epanko deposit is that it naturally has a very low content of halogens and other undesirable elements.