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Chilalo Graphite – Exceptional Expandability

The results of testwork and analysis of Chilalo product conducted by China Gold Investment and CN Docking, including testing of a +50 mesh (>300 micron) sample of Chilalo graphite, demonstrated an expandability ratio of 1,500x (times). This result compares extremely favourably to ASX listed peers and China-sourced graphite which has expandability ratios averaging 250x.
Published expansion rates from ASX listed graphite companies
Expandable graphite is a compound of graphite that expands or exfoliates when heated. This material is manufactured by treating flake graphite with various reagents (such as acid) that migrate between the layers in the graphite. When the graphite is heated, it rapidly expands to several hundred times its original size (the expansion ratio). The expansion ratio is the volume of expandable graphite produced per gram of graphite product at a specified temperature. In general, coarser flake graphite typically has higher expansion ratios than smaller flakes. Producing expandable graphite is a relatively inexpensive process.
The expansion rate represents the volume growth of the graphite once it is mixed with acid and other reagents and then heated. Higher expandability is more valuable to end users on a value-in-use basis. These results are extremely encouraging given the price of flake graphite concentrate that expands at 250x shown below (source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence).
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Pricing – Flake Graphite Concentrate Assuming 250x Expansion (US$/t)