WATCH: Managing Director Mike Schwarz answer investors questions about the differences between the Sugarloaf and Lacroma Graphite Prospects as well as the importance of the metallurgy in defining a resource.
HIGHLIGHTS
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- iTech progressing development of a process to produce battery anode material from the Sugarloaf Graphite Prospect
- Project funding of ~ $1,100,000 has been approved for this R&D project, with 46% grant allocation from CRC-Projects and 54% to be funded by iTech Minerals and partners on an equal contribution basis
- The project will initially focus on the production of a high-grade graphite concentrate from Sugarloaf and then progress to purification and spheroidization to produce uncoated purified spherical graphite
- iTech is pleased to be working with project partners, The Sustainable Minerals Processing Group at The Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia (UniSA) and metallurgical specialists METS Engineering
- iTech has recently completed a drilling program at the Sugarloaf Graphite Prospect which produced samples for the R&D project and confirms a large exploration target 158 – 264 Mt @ 7 – 12 % TGC
"Our recent drilling program has proved that the Sugarloaf Graphite Prospect contains a significant amount of graphite over its 4.3km strike. However, the simple flotation techniques for purifying the graphite at our nearby Campoona Deposit has not been as effective at Sugarloaf due to the microcrystalline nature of the graphite flakes.
iTech’s challenge is to refine this metallurgical process and produce a high-grade concentrate with good recoveries. We believe this new partnership with The Sustainable Minerals Processing Group at The Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia (UniSA) and metallurgical specialists at METS Engineering can crack the code and convert Sugarloaf graphite into the in-demand spherical graphite that is used in battery anodes, unlocking a significant amount of value for iTech’s Shareholders."
