Graphite
ANZAPLAN offers advanced graphite evaluation services for high value applications including strongly growing markets such as anode materials in lithium ion batteries and expandable graphite. Starting with the initial characterization of the graphite ore through development of a beneficiation process to obtain a high quality flake graphite concentrate, shaping and purification into battery grade spherical graphite, characterization of electrochemical performance and testing of Li ion cells.
ANZAPLAN’s facilities offer process design and engineering for flake graphite for a wide range of downstream products including purified spherical graphite with a cost and time efficient spheroidization equipment developed in cooperation with a renown German equipment manufacturer NETZSCH.
Services
Main analytical services for graphite include:
- Total graphitic carbon (TGC) content analyses
- Crystallinity analyses by X-ray diffraction (XRD)
- Optical analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
- Cyclovoltammetry (half cell)
- Determination of specific surface area (BET)
- Identification of trace elements from ash by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) using matrix adjusted calibration
- Identification of trace elements from graphite by glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS)
Processing steps in the development of a flowsheet targeting the concentration and downstream processing of graphite will involve physical, thermal and chemical processing steps.
Main physical processing steps applied:
- Comminution
- Flotation
- Micronization
- Spheroidization (spherical graphite)
- Intercalation (expandable graphite)
Main thermal and chemical processing steps applied:
- Thermal purification
- Acid leach
- HF free
- Caustic bake
- Caustic leach
Advanced processing services include:
- Flowsheet optimization
- Locked cycle tests (LCT)
- Variability testing
Physical, thermal and chemical processing will include the concentration and downstream processing of graphite at pilot scale.
Main physical processing steps applied:
- Comminution
- Flotation
- Micronization
- Spheroidization (spherical graphite)
- Intercalation (expandable graphite)
Main thermal and chemical processing steps applied:
- Thermal purification
- Acid leach
- HF free
- Caustic bake
- Caustic leach
Engineering services typically include:
- Process design and flowsheet development
- Confirmation of flowsheet through pilot plant testing program
- Mass balance, energy and chemicals requirements
- Capital and operating cost estimates (CAPEX/OPEX)
- Economic assessments including potential by-product scenarios.
- Scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
- Process plant revamping and plant audits
- Optimization and trade-off studies
- Waste management
The ANZAPLAN team offers independent review of technical studies including:
- Preliminary economic assessment, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
- Design verification at various scale
- Pilot Plant design
- Troubleshooting
- Geometallurgical report
- Periodic operation monitoring
ANZAPLAN provides consulting and test work services for seamless development in specialty mineral and metal projects from grassroots exploration through to feasibility studies:
- Exploration program advice
- Site visits
- Mineral resource/reserve estimation
- Verification of drilling and QA/QC protocols
- Audit and review
- Mine planning
- Preparation of technical report based on international codes e.g. JORC, NI 43-101
- Project valuation and studies (PEA, PFS and FS Level)
- Independent Engineer