11 days to the PDAC. Will there be more information released regarding ZEN graphite testing, the other 70-75% of targeted market, PEA? Giving Dr. Chahar $20,000 share bonus is a testament to a successful result and an indicator of more good news to come in my opinion.

The statements below are already huge and I am looking forward to the series of news ZEN is about to disclose.

Dr. Bharat Chahar, VP of Market Development for Zenyatta stated, “Since the purity and particle size of the material provided by SGS processing was already in the range needed for LIB application, no further milling or purification was needed. Compared to natural flake graphite supplied to the industry from China, no extra treatment and no dangerous hydrofluoric acid purification process were required to generate our material. No extensive milling was needed to prepare the Zenyatta graphite with minor loss of material occurring during the shaping process.”

The Zenyatta graphite material was classified and processed in a mechano-fusion machine by a standard industry technique to increase packed density of the material. The higher density Zenyatta material was coated to improve the irreversible capacity loss. Electrochemical tests were conducted using coin cells commonly used in the industry for screening purpose.

Dr. Chahar added, “Due to simple mineralogy, high crystallinity and desirable particle size distribution, Zenyatta graphite has shown first testing specification ranges needed for the Li-ion battery industry. While further tests are ongoing by potential customers to verify other performance characteristics, this initial feedback on results is extremely encouraging. We now plan to carry out advanced testing with a full cell made from the Zenyatta graphite anode.”

Based on research and dialogue with end-users, at this point in time, Zenyatta expects to have a targeted market application segmentation which includes 25-30% for high purity graphite in Lithium-ion batteries. The remaining 70-75% target applications will be discussed in upcoming news releases.

The LIB market is relatively large and shows high growth potential. Graphite for this market has to meet many challenging performance characteristics before it can be used in a LIB. Some of the critical performance criteria include high charge/discharge capacity, low irreversible capacity loss during initial cycling, long cycle life, long shelf life, high packing density, chemical stability and easy process ability. To meet these criteria, the natural flake graphite from China used in this application, is milled, shaped, purified and coated before it can be used as anode powder. There is approximately 40-60% yield loss in the milling and shaping process for most natural flake graphite suppliers in this industry today. Also the traditional graphite anode material is usually purified using expensive chemical or thermal processes. Zenyatta is working to develop a purification system that does not require use of these traditional processes for its unique graphite material.

Graphite is used as a host material in the anode to hold active lithium-ions which move in and out of the graphite layers during charging and discharging. Both natural and synthetic graphite can be used in battery applications depending on the manufacturer’s needs. Generally the choice comes down to cost, purity and various other critical specifications. Purity levels required are high with most end-users stating that low impurity levels of certain metallic elements be kept to less than 200 parts per million (‘ppm’). Zenyatta graphite does not contain any metallic impurities. Metallic impurities are very problematic to battery manufacturers and can cause the batteries to ‘short’ and disrupt the flow of charge; they can also react with the electrolyte. Reactions with the electrolyte can lead to decomposition and premature aging of the anode."