The company has been conducting ongoing metallurgical variability tests on ore from the Sarytogan Graphite deposit, located in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region, with this material – taken from the Central Graphite Zone (CGZ)- producing a concentrate between 90.5% and 91.3% TGC based on flotation test work.

Earlier flotation work had focused on composite samples from the Northern Graphite Zone (NGZ) and CGZ, achieving 81% to 85% TGC.

The much better result from CGZ alone involved 3 samples, and produced the high-grade TGC at higher recoveries of 84.7% to 86.8% on all 3. This is expected to boost the marketability of Sarytogan’s concentrate, which was previously known as Micro80C.

Managing director Sean Gregory said the result would a boost to ongoing development work on the project.

“The achievement of greater than 90% TGC in flotation concentrate from the CGZ is a greatachievement,” he said.

“The higher grade is expected to open this product to a broader market and potentially higher prices.

“These improvements will be validated with further tests for integration into the Definitive Feasibility Study underway.”

Sarytogan Graphite has been trading at 4.1 cents.

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The result was yielded from multiple tests undertaken at two independent laboratories in Australia, and without the use of hydrofluoric acid during the process.

The latter is expected to simplify the project’s development path and provide significant safety and environmental benefits.

Crucially, the purity levels reached in the testing indicate that graphite from Kookaburra will be suitable for lithium-ion battery anode applications.

Graphite concentrate samples grading 94.2% TGC on average were sent to Classifier Milling Systems in Canada for micronising and classification, with composite samples with a d80 of 35 microns were then prepared and distributed to the independent laboratories for advanced analysis.

Lincoln Minerals CEO Jonathon Trewartha said testing had underscored the value of Kookaburra, which is on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. “We are extremely pleased with these outstanding initial results, particularly the achievement of battery grade purity levels without the use of hydrofluoric acid,” he said.

“This not only reduces the cost and complexity typically associated with anode material production but also increases major safety and environmental benefits.”

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He continued: “These findings represent a major step forward in our Battery Anode Material Scoping Study and provide a strong technical foundation for the next phase of optimisation and product qualification.”

LML has been trading at 0.5 cents early in Thursday trade.

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In April, the European Union designated Vittangi as a strategic net-zero project, and this agreement adds to this, with Nyobolt confirming Talnode-C as a valid feedstock for its proprietary fast-charging battery technology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nyobolt will commit to buying around 3,000 tonnes of Talnode -C at a fixed price over 4 years – beginning on 13 May 2025, and with the initial supply coming from Talga’s Electric Vehicle Anode (EVA) demonstration plant in Luleå.

The rest will be taken from the commercial Anode Refinery in Luleå, planned for construction to commence in 2026 subject to FID (final investment decision).

The systems developed by Nyobolt are being applied to an increasing number of settings, including high-performance and heavy-duty vehicles, AI warehouses and data centres. Establishing strong supply chains to facilitate this is an increasing priority, with the company securing more than $150 million in contract value.

Talga Group CEO Martin Phillips said this was another breakthrough step in development of the Vittangi project and its valuation.

“This Agreement marks a significant milestone in Talga’s mission to deliver sustainable, high-power anode materials to the global battery market,” he said.

“The Agreement also underpins the start of commercial sales, and follows extensive qualification and validation in exciting high-power applications that are subject to high growth market demand.”

Talga shares have shifted up since the news, and at 11:36 AEST, they were trading at 47.5 cents – a rise of 9.2% since the market opened.

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The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth has named Talga’s intended plant – the Luleå Anode Refinery – as one of the first Strategic Projects recognised under the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).

This bolsters the centrality of this project within the EU’s plans to build a resilient and autonomous net-zero industry.

The classification also has several benefits, including national priority status under NZIA regulation – which aids in speeding up the administrative process and expedited permitting, plus priority when it comes to dispute resolution.

Additionally, the project will receive Net-Zero Europe Platform engagement, providing Talga with access to support with uniform NZIA implementation, and advice when it comes to financing and investor matchmaking.

There’s also access to EU funding in support of clean tech and industrial decarbonisation.

Talga Group CEO Martin Phillips said Talga was very pleased to have been recognised this way as it continues working towards more Talnode production.

“The designation of both our natural graphite mine and battery anode manufacturing as EU Strategic Projects affirms our credentials in sustainable innovation and highlights Talga’s pivotal role in powering the supply chain for anode and Europe’s clean energy future,” Mr Phillips said.

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Talga’s wider Vittangi project aims to produce 19,500 tonnes per annum of Talnode, anatural graphite battery anode material taken from Talga’s 100% owned natural graphite resources in Sweden.

Talga shares have been trading at 43 cents today.

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This is a win in terms of recognition, with the project now highlighted as significant for Europe’s efforts to secure a battery minerals supply chain – and it boosts Talga’s plans for securing finance to develop Vittangi Anode further.

Vittangi Anode is set to produce 19,500 tonnes per annum of Talnode-C, a natural graphite battery anode material derived from the natural graphite resources in Sweden, with the project benefitting from having a low emission footprint, vertical integration of the mine-to-anode supply chain, and a resource base that supports expansion to more than 100,000 tonnes.

This status under the CRM Act will provide several direct benefits for Talga and Vittangi Anode; project financing is a central aspect. To that end, the company will receive support from a subgroup of the CRM Board which coordinates EU and national, private, and public financial institutions to reach the end stage of financing.

Expedited permitting is also set to benefit from this status, with approvals likely to be progressed more smoothly and timelines being increasingly de-risked.

Ongoing engagement with relevant parties – customers, strategic investors and debt providers – will be supported by this recognition as well.

CEO Martin Phillips said reaching this milestone was a recognition of the project’s wider value. “The Strategic Project status validates Talga’s natural graphite mine and our vital role in sustainable battery materials,” he said.

“Graphite is critical to the lithium-ion battery industry and an increased EU capacity to extract and produce battery-grade graphite is essential for Europe’s resilience and competitiveness.

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“We look forward to engaging with new opportunities under the CRMA to deliver Europe’s first fully integrated active anode supply.”

Talga has been trading at 42 cents heading into Wednesday trade.

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The sale is to be facilitated through a binding, conditional share purchase agreement (SPA), with the buyer Norge Mineraler – an exploration company and subsidiary of U.K.-based Norge Mining Ltd.

MRC has been planning a divestment of Skaland since November, with the sale to free it up to focus instead on the Munglinup Graphite Project in Western Australian and downstream active anode plans in Australia more generally.

According to the SPA, the US$11.75M purchase price will comprise a non-refundable exclusivity fee of US$250,000 (already received), a refundable deposit of US$1M, and US$10.5M to be paid at completion.

Norge Mineraler will take on all liability exposure in the project – except intercompany loans – while MRC will be restricted from competing with the business of Skaland in Norway for three years.

MRC CEO Scott Lowe said the deal represents an important milestone and turning point for the company.

“The aim of this deal is to transform MRC into a much simpler, more focused company with a clearer path to value growth,” he said.

“Selling Skaland will allow MRC to strengthen its balance sheet and concentrate entirely on the Munglinup graphite project in Western Australia and the downstream active anode project.

“The Company’s streamlined business strategy will be to advance and develop these two excellent projects and take advantage of the global focus on critical and battery minerals that includes graphite.”

MRC has been trading at 2.6 cents.

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The court dismissed requests for the Environmental and Natura 2000 permit for Nunasvaara – which is part of Vittangi – to be potentially appealed; this brings an end to the statutory appeals process.

This granting of the permit – which was opposed by several lobby groups – has now been confirmed, and the permit itself is in force.

It is another positive step for Talga in relation to the project, following other milestones such as the award of €70 million in grant funding from the European Union’s Innovation Fund for Talga’s Luleå Anode Refinery and approval of the Nunasvaara South graphite mine Exploitation Concession.

Company CEO Martin Phillips explained that the decision meant Talga could push ahead with the project, which is now tipped to play a fairly important role in securing critical minerals in Europe.

“We are delighted with the successful conclusion of the environmental permitting process,” he said.

“The Vittangi Anode Project is vital for Europe’s energy transition and strategic material supply.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our host communities and stakeholders throughout the execution phase to deliver sustainable, high performance anode materials for the European battery industry.”

Talga shares went gangbusters following the news, and by 10:42 AEDT, they were trading at 65.5 cents – a rise of 61.73% since the market opened.

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The testwork was carried out at a laboratory in Australia and focused on upgrading the concentrating, increasing the average graphite grade from 94% to 98% TGC without any reduction in recovery.

This 98% TGC setting is significant as it indicates the concentrate’s suitability as active anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Higher purity graphite content is also beneficial when it comes to downstream processing as it suggests a lower consumption of reagents to purify the material.

NGX has dispatched the upgraded concentrate to tier-one customers for assessment. It will also be integrated into downstream testwork as part of the graphite explorer’s ongoing qualification program.

NGX director Peter Fox said he was pleased with the result, given the efficient upgrade based on simple amendments to the flowsheet.

“In a current market with a benchmark of 94% TGC, this cost-efficiency and environmental advantages of producing concentrate at 98% TGC purity are significant, presenting a compelling opportunity for industry stakeholders and downstream end-users to take notice,” he said.

“NGX looks forward to updating shareholders on the sample provided to a Tier-1 anodematerial producer and progress on the Company’s own vertically integrated ore-to-anode materials development.”

NGX has been trading at 15 cents.

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Indonesia has built itself as a leading force in nickel globally in the 2020s, tripling its already significant output to 175.6 million tonnes last year.

It’s been so big that Indonesia held half the global market share in nickel in 2023.

Now the next step is for the country to lean into the entire nickel value chain, Meidy Lengkey, secretary-general of the Indonesia Nickel Mining Association (APNI), told HotCopper’s Sonia Madigan at the Critical Minerals and Energy Investment Conference this week.

Lengkey has come to Australia looking for end products involved in battery production, ranging from stainless steel to lithium – and most crucially, graphite.

“We’re asking how to make a battery,” Ms Lengkey explained. “[In] Indonesia, we don’t have lithium, we don’t have graphite, we only have nickel manganese and cobalt. So when we say how to make a battery cell, we’re looking at graphite.”

The interest has been spurred on by Indonesia’s new elected ministry, which is expected to follow a recent energy and mining policy that banned bauxite, cobalt, and tin exports to “draw more economic benefits” from its rich natural resources. That’s put lithium and in particular graphite on Indonesia’s radar.

Ms Lengkey agreed graphite producers in Australia should “for sure” be worried.

“We have a new ministry and we hope they’ll continue the program of the downstream minerals in Indonesia, not only for nickel, but other minerals also,” she continued.

“So, [we’re here to find out] what kind of interest [there is] to invite investors, find new technologies, and [to learn] how to make good mining practices, especially for ESG. You know, we – Indonesia – we’re new players and we’re looking for a professor to make something in Indonesia.”

One big question that will always hang over any Indonesian expansion is, of course, concerns about worker safety – a question mark Ms Lengkey was quick to wave away when it was raised by HotCopper’s Sonia Madigan on Monday.

“Like I said, we’re new players,” Ms Lengkey said. “We just started, right? We’re combining our situation with our conditions. We’re trying to [ask] what is the best situation in Indonesia regarding the ESG. You are not only talking about the processing of the upstream side and downstream side including the labour, including the safety, including the environment, but we’re asking about governance.

“This is talking about geopolitics. We have a new minister and we’re waiting for him to make something better for Indonesia and how to collaborate with agencies around the world.

“You have to check with Indonesia’s situation because we are totally different.”

Ms Lengkey also spoke on the future of nickel in Indonesia at Perth’s Critical Minerals and Energy Investment conference at 10am on Tuesday morning.

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Buxton has been progressing a reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at Narryer, with assays showing TGC (total graphitic carbon) grades of up to 9.06% across 20 metres, within a wider graphitic zone of 57.7 metres (true width) with a grade of 4.34 % TGC.

The highest grade yielded from the program – that is, from a single 1 metre RC sample – came in at 14.95% TGC from 240 metres.

Another feature of exploration work at Narryer has been the use of ground EM coverage of two prospects – Ranger and Oculus – with this being used to remodel the prospects to include additional early-time channels.

Crucially, the new model is now 2.9 times more extensive than the previous one, while also showing that Ranger’s graphite mineralisation likely projects up-dip to within 60 metres of the surface.

Models drawn up for Oculus also project to shallower depths.

The combination of both clusters of exploration data indicate – according to Buxton – the discovery of a new, and significant graphite province at Narryer, which itself is only 100 kilometres south of Buxton’s Graphite Bull play.

Buxton shares have moved up on the report, and at 12:24 AEST, they were trading at 5.9 cents – a rise of 3.51% since the market opened.

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Occurring during the ramp-up and commissioning phase of the project, this average exceeds the theoretical break-even for the project, and means that larger sales orders can be exported at competitive prices.

The average amount of graphite produced in August has been 55 bags per day, and Walkabout has additionally been pleased to see that individual plant circuits have shown the ability to operate at volumes exceeding planned production.

One challenge for the ramp-up process in July and August was eliminating thefrequency and length of periods of plant downtime.

On both fronts this got better in August, with plant operational availability currently at around 84%, indicated by the notable increase in production of dry, screened graphite concentrate, plus the fact that the plant has been able to operate for more than than 48-hours without interruption on multiple occasions throughout that month.

Managing Director and CEO Andrew Cunningham said the improvements showed that things were on-track during this stage of the project.

“The significant increase in plant availability and utilisation over the past month reflects the commissioning team’s focus and has enabled the processing teams to concentrate on optimising the value attributes of the Lindi Jumbo product,” he said.

“Exceeding the theoretical breakeven output point is an important milestone to reach during the ramp-up phase of the Project. Lindi Jumbo is already demonstrating the benefits of its very high-grade deposit thereby operating at the lowest end of the cost curve while achieving a higher basket price due to its greater proportion of coarse flake graphite products.

“We look forward to further increasing our production over the remainder of the quarter and shipping more high-quality product to our global customers.”

Walkabout has been trading at 9.8 cents.

At 13:33 AEST, the company’s shares were trading at 12 cents, a fall of 22.6% since the market opened.

The PFS outlined three potential products for the Sarytogan Graphite Project: microcrystalline graphite (with recoveries of more than 80%) at up to US$791 per tonne, ultra-high purity fines (UHPF) at up to fine nines purity, earning as much as US$5,577 per tonne, and spherical purified graphite at up to US$8,000 per tonne.

The metrics were calculated according to 10-year weighted averages, and the study also posited an initial mine life of 60 years at the maiden ore reserve of 8.6 million tonnes at 30% TGC (total graphite content), with only 4% of the mineral resource to be consumed in that time.

This, Sarytogan said, would enable multi-generational expandability for the project, whose financials also looked positive, with net present value (NPV) estimated at US$518 million, or A$797 million, and payback time estimated between 3.4 and 5.3 years, according to the mining stage.

Given the size and grades evident at the project, it was initially uncertain why the market as it did, although some investors appeared to pick up on the downstream operating costs for the life of mine (LOM) positioned at US$1,150.47 for production of UHPF.

Nevertheless, Managing Director, Sean Gregory said the PFS showed strong potential for the future operation.

“The Sarytogan Graphite Project now takes its place as a very serious contender to play animportant role in meeting the world’s energy storage needs,” he said.

“The physical attributes of the giant and exceptionally high grade Sarytogan Graphite Deposit have shone through in the PFS which envisages low costs and high margins, even at the conservative project sizing selected to minimise risk.

“Coupled with the recent planned investment by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development strengthening of our balance sheet, Sarytogan is in a strong position to drive the project forward with early works on the DFS already underway.”

And the market seems pleased with the announcement, meaning that by 12:26 AEDT, Lincoln shares were trading at 0.5 cents, a rise of 10% since the market opened.

The price of natural graphite has been under pressure since late last year, as a result of oversupply – particularly of synthetics – and slow trade flows.

However, Lincoln is convinced that KGP could still leverage its unique features to deliver an economical project – the first to produce graphite in this country – based on the current mining lease, with the possibility of expanding the project further down the line.

In terms of delivering on low costs, the company emphasised that KGP comprised high-grade core at surface, and existing mining license and infrastructure, with the latter including power 5 kilometres away, water access 12 kilometres away, and roads located 0.1 kilometres away.

Additionally, the project’s location also sets it 25 minutes from the regional centre of Port Lincoln.

In terms of planning, the company is aiming to complete its upgraded prefeasibility study (PFS) in the fourth quarter of this year, building on what was already known from a feasibility study done in 2017.

CEO Jonathon Trewartha said the project had a suite of features which made a low-cost start up ossible.

“Lincoln’s Kookaburra Graphite Project is unique in Australia, in that it benefits from extremely high-grade graphite at surface, requiring no pre-strip, thanks to an orebody which literally sticks out of the ground,” he said.

“As an experienced mining project developer, it is clear to me that with a Mining Lease already approved and developing such high grades at the front end of the production schedule, means that Lincoln is likely to be able to generate attractive returns, even at low graphite prices.

“Our strategy to stage the development and initially to focus on the high grade at KGP will also allow us to progress to first ore potentially quicker than any other Australian project in Australia and enable Lincoln to deliver production-scale graphite concentrate for qualification in the EV markets while we plan the development of a larger project to feed the global demand for high quality anode material.”

Rio Tinto informed Sovereign that it had exercised 34,549,598 share options to achieve the increase, acquiring the same number of new fully paid ordinary shares priced at A$0.535 each for a total of A$18,484,035.

The funds will be used by Sovereign to advance the Kasiya project, with a particular focus on its current optimisation study, which is seeking the development of a world-class mine to supply critical minerals to the titanium pigment, titanium metal and lithium-ion battery industries.

The two companies have already signed an Investment Agreement, through which Rio Tinto will provide assistance and advice on technical and marketing aspects of Kasiya, which holds a mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 1.8 billion tonnes at 1.01 percent rutile for an overall 18 million tonnes of contained natural rutile.

Sovereign’s Chairman, Ben Stoikovich said the increased investment reflected Rio’s acknowledgement of Kasiya’s worth.

“Rio Tinto’s further investment in Sovereign reaffirms Kasiya’s position as one of the most significant critical minerals projects globally,” he said.

“With Rio Tinto’s wealth of experience as one of the world’s largest and most accomplished global mining companies, Kasiya is well positioned to potentially become a market leader in low-CO2-footprint natural rutile and graphite.”

Sovereign has been trading at 66.5 cents.

Lindi Jumbo is Walkabout’s 100% owned graphite project in Tanzania’s Mozambique Belt. The maiden shipment will sail off in the coming days with pilot orders trickling through.

Those pilot orders, Walkabout announced, are typically between for 20 tonnes and up to 80 tonnes of graphite concentrate, landing in Walkabout’s inbox on “a regular basis.”

The company is, in turn, boosting on-site plant throughput capacity to achieve at least “one-third of the nameplate production” by the end of this month.

The company did also add it was actively executing “efforts to mitigate impacts of inflation.” To sweeten this line, it immediately added it expects Lindi Jumbo to be the world’s highest margin producing graphite mine.

“Set to be the highest margin producing graphite mine globally at full production, Lindi Jumbo continues to impress and at current estimated operating costs is currently one of the lowest cost producing mines in the world with one of the highest basket prices globally,” Walkabout chief Andrew Cunningham said on Tuesday.

“Demand for Lindi Jumbo’s graphite product is vibrant and attracting market pricing. Our focus is on continuing to methodically ramp up production and product quality to meet this demand.”

Graphite has long been the purview of Chinese market dominance but after the world’s second largest economy placed export restrictions on the industrial and battery metal, markets have been closely eyeing graphite prices.

The company also stands poised to tap into overhead critical mineral domestic supply chain strategies from Western governments.

WKT last traded at 11.5cps; it’s 1Y returns are up +16%.

A 12-month program of drilling throughout 2023 and 2024 provided the basis for the upgrade, bringing the resource to 35.2 million tonnes at 6.0 percent total graphite content (TGC), at a minimum cut-off grade of 2 percent TGC for 2 million tonnes of contained graphite in the measured, indicated and inferred categories.

Of particular focus in the expansive reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling program was delineation of the Lacroma Graphite Deposit, and it was this addition that pushed the total MRE to a 300 percent increase.

Lacroma’s indicated and inferred resource has been estimated at 26.6 million tonnes at 5.0 percent TGC, and while metallurgical test work on its ore is continuing, iTech has already noted its simple metallurgical characteristics and high recoveries, reporting recoveries of 94 percent (as graphite concentrate) in May.

iTech’s managing director Mike Schwarz said the overall upgrade and delineation of Lacroma represented an important milestone for the company.

“A 300 percent increase of the global graphite mineral resource estimate at our Eyre Peninsula Graphite Project is a massive achievement for iTech after just 12 months of exploration and resource drilling,” he said.

“Importantly, the simple geology and metallurgy of the Lacroma Deposit gives it all the hallmarks of a low risk and potentially low-cost mining operation which will no doubt prove especially important in a global market that has shown volatile graphite pricing.

“With the definition of a significant resource, we have the confidence to move forward to the next phase of developing this exciting project and look forward to helping the world meet the graphite shortages that many analysts are predicting over the next decade.”

At 12:57 AEDT, iTech was trading at 6.2 cents, a rise of 10.7 percent since the market opened.

And the market has responded positively, sending the company’s share price to 22.5 cents by 12:41 AEST, a rise of 21.62 percent since the market opened.

The update came hot on the heels of the company’s release of a mineral resource and initial metallurgical test work which showed potential for a commercial-grade graphite concentrate – at grades of 94 percent and above – to be yielded from the project.

The project’s mineral resource is inferred at 194.6 million tonnes (Mt) at 7.3 percent TGC for 14.2Mt of contained graphite, and its exploration target does not include this, instead revolving around the 12 kilometre strike length of graphitic schists to the north of Leliyn.

Managing Director, Richard Maddocks said that by reaching these goals, Kingsland had shown the potential of the project, which is already Australia’s largest for graphite.

“This updated Exploration Target has been estimated now we have confirmation Leliyn can produce a fine flake concentrate of commercial grade, >94% TGC,” he said.

“This Exploration Target confirms the exceptional scope of Leliyn to become one of the world’s largest graphite deposits.

“We will continue to undertake metallurgical test work to optimise graphite concentrate properties and have commenced discussions with strategic end users and potential customers.”

Kingsland has been trading at 18.5 cents.

The on-specification concentrate was bagged in May and shipped as Walkabout continues carrying out commissioning work at Lindi Jumbo, with this work focused on boosting plant performance, availability and utilisation.

The company is also hoping to capitalise on the United States’s announcement of tariffs on Chinese graphite, which is expected to improve pricing of the product.

Walkabout’s managing director and CEO Andrew Cunningham said the company had achieved an important goal with the shipping announcement.

“The successful production of on-spec, saleable product during the commissioning process at the Lindi Jumbo plant facility is an exciting milestone,” he said.

“To achieve our first concentrate shipment from site, at a time when customers are looking to shore up their graphite supply chains is a rewarding and outstanding outcome for the tenacity of our people, community, contractors and shareholders.

“We now have the opportunity to engage with more end-users as we continue to demonstrate we have a viable product and that we are serious contenders in development of non-Chinese graphite supply.”

Walkabout has been trading at 12 cents.

Talga decided to run the mining expansion study – which is part of a wider scoping study on the project – as a result of growing demand from battery and electric-vehicle customers for the mineral, as well as growing global interest in lithium battery materials more generally.

What it found was that ore production options from the 35 million-tonne project (at 23.8 percent Cg- carbon in graphite form) could include 0.6, 1.0 or 2.0 million tonnes per year (Mtpa), and that with the latter option, concentrate of around 425,000 tonnes per year could be yielded.

Additionally, the project’s shift to an underground mining model would negate the requirement for multiple open pits, and if the 0.6Mtpa production rate was chosen, the mine life could extend to 40 years.

Talga Group CEO Martin Phillips said the study provided key indicators of the role Vittangi could play in the European green energy market into the future.

“Our large-scale Swedish graphite project is a key alternative source of strategic raw materials to support the EU’s ambitions and the demand from key export markets,” he said.

“The completed mining study underpins the Scoping Study underway to outline expansion options to supply the global battery anode market beyond our initial 19,500tpa project.”

The Vittangi Graphite Project – located in the country’s northeast, along the Vittangi Greenstone Group – focuses on the Nunasvaara and Niska deposits, and Talga is continuing exploration work at the site with the goal of shifting the current exploration target of 240-350Mt at 20-30 percent graphite to mineral resource estimates.

Talga Group has been trading at 65 cents.

In addition, metallurgical work shows the potential for purified spherical graphite (PSG) to be produced, based on the achievement of high purity fine flake graphite from bench scale metallurgical testing work.

The recoveries have the potential to improve even further through optimisation work using the same graphite flotation process, which is both non-chemical and non-thermal.

Managing director Mike Schwartz said he was thrilled with these results, which had confounded iTech’s expectations.

“We targeted an industry-standard 80 percent recovery rate with our first round of metallurgical test work, so exceeding it by such a significant margin so early on in the process using simple flotation techniques is incredibly encouraging,” he said.

“It really highlights the potential the Lacroma Graphite Project has to produce a high quality, low-cost graphite product for the growing battery materials market.”

The properties of graphite from Lacroma – which is part of iTech’s larger Campoona Graphite Project in South Australia – suggest that a low-cost operation is achievable.

The company is now planning to move on to bulk sampling production, as well as purification and spheroidization test work.

iTech has been trading at 7.8 cents.