Grafite e grafene i materiali del futuro ?

  • Ecco la 60° Edizione del settimanale "Le opportunità di Borsa" dedicato ai consulenti finanziari ed esperti di borsa.

    Questa settimana abbiamo assistito a nuovi record assoluti in Europa e a Wall Street. Il tutto, dopo una ottava che ha visto il susseguirsi di riunioni di banche centrali. Lunedì la Bank of Japan (BoJ) ha alzato i tassi per la prima volta dal 2007, mettendo fine all’era del costo del denaro negativo e al controllo della curva dei rendimenti. Mercoledì la Federal Reserve (Fed) ha confermato i tassi nel range 5,25%-5,50%, mentre i “dots”, le proiezioni dei funzionari sul costo del denaro, indicano sempre tre tagli nel corso del 2024. Il Fomc ha anche discusso in merito ad un possibile rallentamento del ritmo di riduzione del portafoglio titoli. Ieri la Bank of England (BoE) ha lasciato i tassi di interesse invariati al 5,25%. Per continuare a leggere visita il link

Focus Graphite Closes Private Placement






OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 9, 2015) -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Focus Graphite Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FMS)(OTCQX:FCSMF)(FRANKFURT:FKC) ("Focus" or the "Company") announced today the closing of the final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"). In total, following the closing of the two tranches of the Offering, the company issued 4,708,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.50 per Unit for total gross proceeds of $2,354,000. The closing of the final tranche consisted of the issuance of 847,000 Units ($423,500). Each Unit consists of one (1) common share and one (1) warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to acquire one (1) additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.60 per share until February 9th, 2019.

In connection with the closing of the final tranche of the Offering, the Company paid finder's fees totaling $29,645 and issued 59,290 non-transferable warrants with each warrant entitling the holder to acquire one (1) common share of the Company at a price of $0.60 per share until February 9th, 2017. The securities issued in connection with the closing of the final tranche are subject to a four-month hold period expiring on June 10, 2015. The Offering is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
 
grazie ad Implacabile per il suo lavoro e sopratutto per la sua tenacia.

...vorrei iniziare a prendere una prima posizione....
Studiando le 7 sorelle "graphite", ho messo nel mirino
FOCUS e ENERGIZER...che capitalizzano entrambe circa 30 milioni...

sai dirmi qualcosa di più delle 2 società?
quale delle 2 mi consiglieresti dall'alto della tua esperienza?

Focus ha la miniera in Qebeq, Energizer in Madagascar...
di primo acchito vorrei scegliere Focus,il Canada mi da più fiducia...
... ma poi ho visto che JPM detiene un quota superiore al 10% di Energizer...quota che mi sembra abbastanza spropositata se non ci fosse qualcosa di sostanzioso all'orizzonte....inoltre il prezzo di carico sarebbe intorno a 10-12 cents, ovvero il prezzo attuale....

PS in alternativa mi piace anche MASON graphite...
capitalizzazione 43 milioni...
 
Ultima modifica:
Mason Graphite Initiates Detailed Study for Large Scale Production of Value-Added Graphite Products



February 11, 2015




MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Feb. 11, 2015) - Mason Graphite Inc. ("Mason Graphite" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:LLG)(OTCQX:MGPHF) announces that it has initiated a detailed study for large scale processing of value-added graphite products.

Value-added processing includes micronization, additional purification, spheronization and coating, resulting in graphite products that are suitable for a wide range of electrochemical applications (including alkaline batteries, lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells), technical applications (including carbon brushes, brake linings, plastics and lubricants), and other specialized uses.

The development and validation of the fabrication processes for these graphite products will be carried out by the National Research Council of Canada ("NRC") along with Hatch, and is expected to conclude by the end of 2015. Following initial scoping work, equipment trials and product testing, the Company intends to provide preliminary results and an updated work program by mid-2015.

Benoit Gascon, President and CEO of Mason Graphite, commented, "We are very pleased to have initiated this important study, which we believe will allow us to broaden the range of applications accessible and further improve the economics of the operations and the Company as a whole.

In order to enter the value-added graphite markets, a detailed study on large scale production is necessary over and above preliminary laboratory tests, some of which have already been done. We are fortunate to have a team with extensive experience in the area of value-added graphite products from having been previously involved with processing facilities and marketing of such products in the past."

The NRC is the Government of Canada's premier research and technology organization. Hatch is an engineering firm located in Montreal which is already working closely with Mason Graphite on the development of the Lac Gueret Graphite Project.
- See more at: Mason Graphite - Mason Graphite Initiates Detailed Study for Large Scale Production of Value-Added Graphite Products
 
Buongiorno Cottone,
io non sono un esperto, sto solo seguendo le vicende di queste 7 società canadesi. Non saprei indicarle quale scegliere, io stesso sono entrato in tutte e sette, proprio perché spero che, sparando nel mucchio, si prenda qualcosa di buono.
Secondo me le soddisfazioni con questi titoli le avremo solo quando il grafene diverrà "famoso" e allora scatterà la caccia a tutto ciò che ha a che fare con esso.
Un saluto




grazie ad Implacabile per il suo lavoro e sopratutto per la sua tenacia.

...vorrei iniziare a prendere una prima posizione....
Studiando le 7 sorelle "graphite", ho messo nel mirino
FOCUS e ENERGIZER...che capitalizzano entrambe circa 30 milioni...

sai dirmi qualcosa di più delle 2 società?
quale delle 2 mi consiglieresti dall'alto della tua esperienza?

Focus ha la miniera in Qebeq, Energizer in Madagascar...
di primo acchito vorrei scegliere Focus,il Canada mi da più fiducia...
... ma poi ho visto che JPM detiene un quota superiore al 10% di Energizer...quota che mi sembra abbastanza spropositata se non ci fosse qualcosa di sostanzioso all'orizzonte....inoltre il prezzo di carico sarebbe intorno a 10-12 cents, ovvero il prezzo attuale....

PS in alternativa mi piace anche MASON graphite...
capitalizzazione 43 milioni...
 
Buongiorno Cottone,
io non sono un esperto, sto solo seguendo le vicende di queste 7 società canadesi. Non saprei indicarle quale scegliere, io stesso sono entrato in tutte e sette, proprio perché spero che, sparando nel mucchio, si prenda qualcosa di buono.
Secondo me le soddisfazioni con questi titoli le avremo solo quando il grafene diverrà "famoso" e allora scatterà la caccia a tutto ciò che ha a che fare con esso.
Un saluto

dentro in Focus Graphite con 10k pezzi a 0,335

Ciao e Grazie!
 
February 23, 2015 TSX-V: LMR
GRAPHENE ESD EXECUTES A JOINT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
WITH STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY, LOMIKO CEO JOINS BOARD
Vancouver, B.C. and New York, New York – Lomiko Metals Inc. (“Lomiko”) (TSX-V:LMR,
OTC:LMRMF, FSE:DH8B) is pleased to announce Graphene Energy Storage Devices Corp.
(“Graphene ESD”) has signed a research agreement with the Research Foundation of Stony
Brook University (SBU). Graphene ESD Corp. will partner with the SBU Center for Advanced
Sensor Technologies (Sensor CAT) to develop new supercapacitors designs for energy storage.
Lomiko Metals Inc. is currently owns a 40% stake in Graphene ESD and Mr. A. Paul Gill, CEO of
Lomiko, is now appointed a Director of Graphene ESD.
“The device is designed as a versatile energy storage solution for electronics, electric vehicles
and electric grid.” stated A. Paul Gill, CEO of Lomiko Metals Inc. Graphene is finding new
application in sensors, electronics, and advanced materials. Energy storage is a rapidly
developing field which can benefit from the outstanding properties of graphene. We believe that
graphene-based devices will deliver the best value for multiple energy storage applications.”
Supercapacitors bridge the gap between conventional capacitors and rechargeable batteries.
They traditionally find application as intermediate energy sources in recuperative braking, voltage
filtering, and more. However, the maximum voltage of an individual supercapacitor unit is limited
to a few volts. A higher-voltage device can be assembled by connecting individual units, but this
is a labor-intensive and expensive process. The goal of the project is the development of low-cost
integrated ultra-high voltage supercapacitor units by a high-rate reel-to-reel process. The target
applications are grid-tied inverters, grid-stabilization systems, as well as automotive and
locomotive drivetrains. SBU will leverage its experience in electrochemistry and will be
responsible for the design of the electrode and the electrolyte formulation. The Graphene ESD
team will work on device assembly and testing.
“This agreement is a significant step in expanding collaboration between industry and academia
in the furtherance of our Center’s mission to create high-tech jobs in New York,” stated Peter
Shkolnikov, Deputy Director of the Sensor CAT. “Energy storage is a rapidly growing field, with
SBU is on the forefront of electrochemical energy storage research”.
Initially, Graphene ESD Corp. will provide $50,000 in cash funding to the SUNY Research
Foundation which will host research at its Sensor CAT facilities on SBU campus in Stony Brook,
NY.
 
Focus Graphite Announces
Additional Debt Financing Interest in Lac Knife

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - February 24th, 2015 - Focus Graphite Inc. (TSX-V:FMS; OTCQX:FCSMF; FRANKFURT:FKC) ("Focus" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that FLSmidth (“FLS”) has expressed its formal interest to further evaluate the Company’s Lac Knife Project in order to provide Focus with a “One Source” solution of engineering & technical services and supply of mineral processing equipment.

The initial set of Lac Knife mineral processing equipment being proposed by FLS bears a feasibility study level cost estimate of $12 million. The project scope may include a second component at a later date associated with dewatering, filtration, and conveyance equipment used for the de-watering and dry-stacking of tailings.

Focus included this revised tailings management system in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment report filed in November 2014 in order to reduce the environmental footprint of Lac Knife’s general site layout.

FLSmidth, is a Danish multinational global corporation with annual revenues in excess of 3.6 billion euros, and is a leading supplier of mineral processing equipment and mining services and is specialized in dry-stacked tailings management.

“FLS’s Letter of Interest represents another significant potential financing option as the Company develops the Lac Knife Structured Project Financing,” said Don Baxter, Focus Graphite President and Chief Operating Officer.

FLS has introduced the Lac Knife project to the Danish Export Credit Agency (“EKF”) and the project may be eligible for EKF credit support. An EKF guarantee is backed by the Danish State, and as such, the EKF loan guarantee can be considered as AAA-rated. “Both parties are discussing this financing option with a view to achieving a mutually satisfactory conclusion.”

“This potential debt facility represents 7% of Lac Knife’s total project financing requirements, raising the total of potential vendor financing to approximately 20%. Terms of a debt facility are to be negotiated and a comprehensive disclosure will be released at a later date.”

This announcement follows the Caterpillar Structured Finance announcement on January 6th, 2015. Focus is continuing project-financing discussions with various stakeholders, investors, and institutional funds in both the public and private sector with the objective of minimizing shareholder dilution through a mix of debt and equity financing.

On August 8th, 2014 Focus Graphite published its Lac Knife Project Feasibility Study that included a mine and concentrator operation with a capital expenditure requirement of $165.6 million including a $17.1 million contingency.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release was prepared, reviewed and approved by Mr. Don Baxter, P. Eng., Focus President & Chief Operating Officer, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 guidelines.

About FLSmidth

Established in Denmark in 1882, FLSmidth supplies the minerals and cement industries globally with engineering, single machines and complete processing plants, maintenance, support services and operation of processing facilities. Its core strengths are reflected in its market-leading product range, its ability to implement, manage and maintain projects, and its operation of minerals and cement processing plants worldwide. FLSmidth employs some 15,000 in more than 50 countries, including Canada.
 
February 26, 2015 15:58 ET

Focus Graphite's Coated Spherical Graphite Shows Superior Electrochemical Performance When Compared With Commercial Grades of Synthetic Graphite for Lithium Ion Batteries






OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 26, 2015) - Focus Graphite Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FMS)(OTCQX:FCSMF)(FRANKFURT:FKC) ("Focus" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from independent laboratory test work that was commissioned to compare Lac Knife carbon coated Spherical Graphite ("SPG") to commercially available carbon coated synthetic graphite currently being sold for use in anodes for lithium ion batteries.

Highlights
•Coin cell test of Lac Knife Coated SPG yields a 99.35% efficient lithium ion battery, compared to Commercial Synthetic SPG for Li-Ion batteries that yielded lower battery coin cell test results showing 93.5% and 96.5% efficiency respectively.


•Tests also show that the Focus fine lithium ion grade of SPG has both a much higher reversible capacity and lower irreversible capacity loss than either of the two commercial grades of synthetic SPG. Although the electrochemical performance of the synthetic graphite grade is very good, they are inferior to that of the Focus lithium ion fine grade of SPG.


•Long term cycling tests indicate that cells produced with Lac Knife natural flake graphite concentrate will also be more stable than those produced with synthetic graphite.



"Focus Graphite is unique in the graphite mining sector, in that we have actual technical and operational experience in graphite mining and processing and transformation into value added graphite products. The work we are undertaking is designed to give confidence to our potential customers that the technical performance, economic and environmental aspects of Lac Knife graphite products are second to none. We commissioned this test work to show that Lac Knife graphite can ultimately be transformed into an SPG for use in anodes for lithium ion batteries. This SPG shows better performance characteristics than the synthetic graphite that is currently used by some well-known battery manufacturers," tated Don Baxter, President and Chief Operating Officer. "Current markets show that natural SPG sells for considerably less than half the cost of synthetic graphite for batteries and, yet, it performs better. Also, Focus' Lac Knife natural flake graphite concentrate can be processed in an environmentally sustainable manner, using Hydro Quebec hydroelectric power, that produces relatively negligible C02 emissions, compared to natural flake graphite processed in China, or energy intensive synthetic graphite produced from petroleum coke."
 
Northern Graphite Qualifies Bissett Creek Concentrates for Major Graphite Markets

March 2, 2015 – Northern Graphite Corporation (NGC: TSXV,NGPHF:OTCQX) announces that independent testing has confirmed that flake graphite concentrates from the Company’s Bissett Creek deposit meet or exceed quality requirements for all major end markets and in particular, refractories and expandable graphite. Testing was carried out by NGS Naturgraphit GmbH (“Naturgraphit”) which provides a broad range of consulting, research and development and laboratory services to graphite producers, dealers and consumers.

The analysis and evaluation carried out by Naturgraphit did not detect any limitations on potential uses for Bissett Creek flake graphite. Furthermore, Naturgraphit recommended that Northern create a +32 mesh XXL flake concentrate because this grade is always in short supply, there are few reliable sources and prices are high. XXL flake concentrates currently sell for US$2,300-2,400/tonne compared to US$2,000/tonne for XL flake (+50 mesh) concentrates and US$1,200-1,300/tonne for large flake concentrates (+80 mesh). Bissett Creek is the only deposit that has reported a high percentage of +32 mesh XXL flake (20% of production) and it also has the highest reported percentage of combined XXL/XL/large (90%).

Gregory Bowes, CEO, commented that: “There is a higher degree of variability between graphite deposits than most investors realize and it is important that potential producers provide independent and transparent verification that their graphite meets the requirements of major end markets. Testing by Naturgraphit has not only accomplished this objective but also identified a new revenue source that will enhance project economics.”

Naturgraphit tested large flake and combined XL/XXL flake concentrates from Bissett Creek for moisture content, volatile matter, purity (loss on ignition), expansion volume and ash content, and performed a microscopic examination of each flake size for degree of crystallization and the presence of quartz grains and other impurities.

Microscopic investigation indicated shiny, platy and pristine graphite flakes that are almost free of discoloration and impurities. Both samples are suitable for refractory applications due to there being very little or no CaCO3 or iron sulphides, a high degree of crystallization, a high carbon content achieved by flotation alone, and little volatile matter. In addition, the melting point of the ash is higher than the majority of Chinese flake graphite and is in the range of best flake graphite from Mozambique. The absence of large quartz grains also makes the concentrate suitable for graphite foil, brake pads, lubrication products and carbon brushes in electric motors.

The expansion volume of the +80 mesh concentrate was approximately 400cm³/g which is extremely good and better than the best Chinese expandable graphite. The expansion volume of the +50 mesh concentrates was similar although testing by other potential users has achieved values up to 600cm³/g. Additional testing will be carried out to optimize retention times for each process step, the amount of oxidization and intercalation reagents and process and drying temperatures. Expandable graphite is used in thermal management for consumer electronics, fuel cells, seals and gaskets, fire retardants, flow batteries and many other products.

Naturgraphit also concluded that achieving high purity levels should be possible with a simple, inexpensive process due to the absence of large quartz grains, and that the very low content of heavy metals makes the material suitable for the battery market. Northern has already developed a proprietary purification technology as an alternative to the environmentally damaging wet chemical approach used in China and the expensive thermal method, and independently verified the suitability of concentrates for use in Li ion batteries. This press release was reviewed by Hubert Meisner of Naturgraphit, a highly regarded expert in the graphite industry.
 
Focus Graphite Raises Additional Capital






OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 2, 2015) -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Focus Graphite Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FMS)(OTCQX:FCSMF)(FRANKFURT:FKC) ("Focus" or the "Company") today announced that it has received commitments with respect to a brokered private placement offering of units ("Units") of the Company (the "Offering") for total gross proceeds of $2,000,000.00.

Pursuant to the Offering, each Unit will be issued in consideration for $0.35 each and each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of a Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one additional Common Share at a price of $0.55 per share for a period of two years from the date of issuance.

The Company has retained Stormcrow Capital Ltd. ("Stormcrow"), an exempt market dealer headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, as the Company's Agent for the Offering. Agency fees will be payable according to TSX Venture Exchange guidelines.

The closing of the Offering is subject to conditions customary to a best efforts brokered private placement including, notably, satisfactory due diligence by Stormcrow, to receipt of the required approvals from the TSX Venture Exchange and delivery of customary closing documents.

The net proceeds from the Offering will be used to work towards several milestones associated with the development of the Company's Lac Knife natural flake graphite project.

The securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold or restricted period expiring four months from the closing date. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Act.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
 
Zenyatta Receives Financial Support from Ontario Government for Unique Processing of the Albany Graphite Deposit Thunder Bay, ON – 4 March 2015 – Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. (“Zenyatta” or “Company”) (TSXV : ZEN) is pleased to announce the signing of a contribution agreement with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (‘NOHFC’). NOHFC is a provincial government funding organization initiated by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (‘MNDM’) to help promote and stimulate economic development in Northern Ontario. Zenyatta will receive a financial contribution, in the form of a grant, of $500,000 from NOHFC to help support and advance the on-going process flow sheet at SGS Canada Inc. for the unique Albany graphite deposit located in northeastern Ontario, Canada.

Aubrey Eveleigh, President and CEO stated “We are very pleased to receive recognition and support from the NOHFC Program. The Albany project has the potential to produce an ultra-high purity graphite product that could lead to high-tech, value-added business opportunities to emerge in Ontario. On behalf of our shareholders, I would like to thank NOHFC and MNDM for this important support in developing a one of a kind graphite product targeting the cleantech sector.”

The unique nature and attractiveness of the Albany deposit has led to significant interest from numerous global corporations and academic institutions requesting samples of Zenyatta’s ultra-high purity graphite material for testing. The world trend is to develop products for technological applications that need extraordinary performance using high purity graphite powder at an affordable cost. High purity is gaining prominence at a time when Zenyatta discovered a rare graphite deposit, which was upgraded during bench-scale testing with very good crystallinity without the use of aggressive acids and high temperature thermal treatment. Further testing and a preliminary economic assessment are underway to define the scale up of the purification process. Generally speaking, corporations interested in Zenyatta’s graphite product are seeking large tonnage (long-life), high quality ‘raw material’ resources capable of producing a superior and consistent high purity product. They also have a strong interest in an environmentally sound and cost-effective process in a politically stable jurisdiction like Ontario, Canada.

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is a crown corporation and development agency of the Ontario government that invests in northern businesses and municipalities. The Northern Innovation Program (Pilot Demonstration & Commercialization Projects) supports the vision of the growth plan for Northern Ontario by supporting the development and commercialization of new and emerging technologies that will contribute to future prosperity in Northern Ontario, and by fostering collaboration and partnerships among the private sector, academic institutions and research institutes. The purpose of this program is to help Northern Ontario businesses reduce the technical and financial risks associated with scaling-up and demonstrating their new and innovative technologies. It is also intended to support them as they ramp-up for commercial production.

The outlook for the global ‘high purity’ graphite market is very promising with demand growing rapidly from new applications. Graphite is now considered one of the more strategic elements by many leading industrial nations, particularly for its growing importance in high technology manufacturing and in the emerging "green" industries such as Lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and fuel cells for energy storage. The application for graphitic material is constantly evolving due to its unique chemical, electrical and thermal properties. It maintains its stability and strength under temperatures in excess of 3,000°C and is very resistant to chemical corrosion. It is also one of the lightest of all reinforcing elements and has high natural lubricating abilities. Some of these key physical and chemical properties make it critical to modern industry.

Zenyatta continues to develop the unique Albany Graphite Deposit in Ontario, Canada. The Company’s highly crystalline graphite deposit is situated 30 km north of the Trans-Canada Highway, power line and natural gas pipeline near the communities of Constance Lake First Nation and Hearst. A rail line is located 70 km away with an all-weather road approximately 10 km from the graphite deposit.
 
Zenyatta; Initial Screening Shows Albany Graphite Material to be Suitable for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Components; Company Collaborates with Global Leader in Fuel Cell Technology Supported by the Government of Canada.



Thunder Bay, ON



9 March 2015



Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. (“Zenyatta” or “Company”) (TSXV: ZEN) is pleased to disclose that a first step screening has occurred on Albany graphite with positive results for use in multiple components for fuel cells. As a second step the Company now plans to work further with a global leader in fuel cell technology to build actual components from high purity Albany graphite. This research into fuel cell innovation is supported by technical and advisory services, and a financial contribution from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).

The initial screening by a global leader, which is under a confidentiality agreement, was conducted for purity, particle size, corrosion resistance and other desirable properties for use in fuel cells. These tests showed Zenyatta’s graphite material to be suitable for use in hydrogen fuel cells with further advanced testing planned. Testing results were obtained from a lab-scale sample provided by SGS Canada Inc. (‘SGS’) solely for the purpose of providing early evaluation on the suitability and effectiveness of Albany graphite in various applications.

Highlights: • Early testing shows Albany graphite to be suitable for hydrogen fuel cell components • Company plans to build and test fuel cell components in the near future • Collaboration with a major fuel cell provider was assisted by funding provided by Government of Canada

Dr. Bharat Chahar, VP of Market Development for Zenyatta stated, “Purity and particle size of the material provided by SGS processing was already in the range needed for fuel cell applications, therefore no further milling or purification was needed. Due to simple mineralogy, high crystallinity and desirable particle size distribution, Zenyatta graphite has shown first screening specification ranges needed for the hydrogen fuel cell components. While further tests are ongoing to verify other performance characteristics, this initial feedback on results is extremely encouraging and quite promising for our upcoming advanced testing.”

Based on research and dialogue with end-users, at this point in time, Zenyatta expects to have a targeted market application segmentation which includes 20-25% for high purity graphite in Fuel Cell products, 25-30% in Lithium-ion batteries and 25-30% in powder metallurgy. Powder metallurgy and the remaining 15-30% target applications will be discussed in upcoming news releases.

Zenyatta commenced a market development program several months ago to initiate validation of Albany graphite in high purity graphite applications. Since the start of this program, the Company has had detailed conversations with more than 35 graphite end-users, academic labs and third party testing facilities in Europe, North America and Asia under confidentiality agreements. Many of these organizations requested a specified amount of purified Albany graphite produced at the SGS Lakefield site during the development of a process flow sheet pursuant to a preliminary economic assessment (‘PEA’) which is currently being completed. The samples produced at SGS are experimental in nature and may differ slightly from batch to batch and may also differ from the final product in the future. However these samples are representative of the product that could be processed and provide a good initial assessment and guidance for the potential of Albany graphite for various applications.

The goal of these initial samples was to screen Albany graphite for suitable applications while gathering feedback from the end-users and testing facilities to improve the overall properties for high value applications. The Company is now starting to receive feedback from several end-users and independent labs, some of which received repeat samples. Information from this initial test program will be used to further define the Company’s product and market strategy and set the stage for next steps in development. Zenyatta plans to provide its stakeholders with brief periodic updates on the progress as meaningful information becomes available. This is the second in a series of updates on the market and business developments.

A battery is an energy storage device and will stop producing electrical energy when the chemical reactants are consumed or it needs to be recharged. The fuel cell is an energy conversion device and will produce electrical energy as long as the fuel and the oxidant are fed to the electrodes. There are many types of fuel cells used in various end-use applications including transportation, industrial equipment, stationary power generation, back-up power, aerospace and defense. Various fuel cell technologies have been developed to convert many different fuels to electricity at high efficiencies. While fuel cells were first developed in 1960’s for niche applications such as generation of power for space vehicles, a large amount of R&D has been conducted over the last fifty years and resulted in much wider use of this technology. It is now considered a “green technology” for use in many applications. Since the fuel cells can be designed to use different forms of fuel, this is one of the leading technologies for sustainable generation of power in small to medium sized industrial applications.

Fuel Cell Market and Hydrogen Fuel Cells The Fuel Cell market is relatively large and shows high growth potential. Proton Exchange Membrane or Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells converting hydrogen and oxygen to electricity and water command a near majority market share in the Fuel Cell market. Since hydrogen can be produced from various sources, and the hydrogen fuel cells only produce water and electricity, this technology has the best potential for finding wide-spread usage in many sectors, including transportation. Honda and Toyota are already making Fuel cell powered test vehicles available in limited markets. Fuel cell companies are continuously improving technologies to provide a more cost effective catalyst, which in turn helps them to commercialize and launch products in the market. Significant efforts are also being made to develop hydrogen storage & distribution infrastructure. Due to all these efforts, the fuel cell market is likely to experience a tremendous increase in demand in the years to come.

High efficiency conversion - Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity without the combustion process. Fuel cells can achieve high efficiencies in energy conversion terms, especially where the waste heat from the cell is utilised for cogeneration. High power density - A high power density allows fuel cells to be relatively compact sources of electric power, which is beneficial in applications with space constraints. In a fuel cell system, the fuel cell itself is nearly dwarfed by other components of the system such as the fuel reformer and power inverter. Quiet operation - Fuel cells, due to their nature of operation, are extremely quiet in operation. This allows fuel cells to be used in residential or built-up areas where the noise pollution is undesirable.

Graphite for this market has to meet many challenging performance characteristics before it can be used in a Fuel Cell. The traditional graphite material used in bipolar plates is usually purified using expensive hydrofluoric (‘HF’) chemical or thermal processes. Zenyatta continues to develop an innovative purification system on its unique graphite material that does not require use of these traditional and environmentally damaging processes.

Graphite is used in the bipolar plate as an electrically and thermally conductive additive. Bipolar plates, which are a major component of fuel cells, are made from high purity graphite. These plates need to be impermeable to gases, have good electrical conductivity, high strength, low weight, good resistance to corrosion and should be easy to manufacture in large quantities. Graphite must be high-grade (> 99.9% C) with low impurities with a viable, low cost purification process. Smaller amounts of graphite or carbon materials can be used in the gas diffusion layers and the membrane electrode assembly of fuel cells, as a catalyst support, as coatings for the bi-polar plates, and in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) components. Gas diffusion layers use high purity, fine graphite powders for controlled porosity and low electrical resistance. Dr. Bharat Chahar, P.E., VP Market Development for Zenyatta, is a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information in this news release. This testing does not represent a statistically large sample size. Furthermore, these positive results do not mean that Zenyatta can extract and process Albany graphite for high purity graphite applications on an economic basis. Without a formal independent feasibility study, there is no assurance that the operation will be economic. To find out more on Zenyatta Ventures Ltd., please visit website Zenyatta - Zenyatta Ventures Welcomes you to our New Site or contact the Company at info@zenyatta.ca or Tel. 807-346-1660.
 
Focus Graphite (V.FMS) is dual tracking its graphite deposit and graphene know how. On the one side it is heading towards developing a mine at its 100% owned Lac Knife, Quebec property. On the other side, through Grafoid Inc. (a private company) it is working toward commercial production of low-cost, high-purity MesoGraf™ graphene.


We spoke to Grafoid Founding Partner and CEO Gary Economo, who is also CEO of Focus, shortly after the announcement that the Government of Canada will be investing $8.1 million in a non-repayable grant to design, build and test an automation system for the production of constant quality MesoGraf™.


“8.1 million dollars goes a long way toward developing the MesoGraf™ automation” said Economo. “We’re teaming up with the government of Canada which, like many other countries in the world is going for graphene.

“We’re making a low cost graphene material. There is a need for large quantities of graphene but if it costs $500 a gram there will not be much demand. So you need high quality at low cost. The MesoGraf™ process reduces costs by orders of magnitude. Where the chemical or copper vapor deposition (CVD) process graphene might run $200 a gram, MesoGraf™ will be affordably priced to enable mass consumption by industry.”

To qualify for the Government of Canada funding Grafoid needed to be well along in the MesoGraf™ development process. “We’re well past proof of concept”, explained Economo, “We have a full scale production facility in Kingston Ontario.” The Government of Canada money will take this to the next level. “Right now we are in ‘batch mode.’ With the Canada money we’ll be moving to a more automated mode of production. That automation will give us lower costs and tighter control of the purity of the material produced.”

“The point about graphene is that it has the potential to make everything better. But you have to functionalize the graphene. One way to do that is to mix the graphene with a polymer. We have an advantage over the CVD process. With CVD you have to get the graphene off the copper. Our process is unique. In fact, we’re able to deposit graphene on all kinds of materials.”

“This capacity changes the scope of manufacturing. For example we can deposit on aluminum. Or glass. With graphene coated glass you can have aquariums you don’t have to clean or window glass for skyscrapers that are basically self cleaning. Graphene creates applications that save money for all sorts of industries.” said Economo.

Grafoid sees its process knowledge, its intellectual property, as its main source of revenue. “We only supply application partners with MesoGraf™. We grant them a right of use and we take our revenue from royalties. We know how to functionalize graphene and holding the IP is more valuable to us and shareholders than being a retail seller of graphene.”

Alternatively, Grafoid is looking at launching new companies with specific graphene applications. And it is looking at acquiring companies where there is a good graphene fit. Economo points to Grafoid subsidiary Braille Battery, a manufacturer of high end racing lithium ion batteries for the Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar racing businesses as an initial example of this focus on the development of an IP value add for the MesoGraf™ product.

The excitement of the MesoGraf-driven technology has not distracted Focus and Economo from developing its graphite mine at Lac Knife. “We’re working on additional off take agreements for the graphite production. We’re also lining up the financing for the mine.”

“We’re concentrating on graphite which has the purity and characteristics required for the higher value, coated spherical battery market.” said Economo.

February 16, Focus announced that it had received the results of tests comparing its coated spherical graphite with commercially available synthetic graphite. These tests suggested that the Focus graphite showed superior electro chemical performance.


As well, March 2, Focus offered a 2 million dollar private placement which will be used to work towards several milestones associated with the development of the Company’s Lac Knife natural flake graphite project.

With the support of the Canadian Federal Government, Focus is poised to take graphene from the laboratory to real, commercial, applications with a business plan which is designed to ensure revenue streams to the company.

At time of writing Focus was trading at $.34 with 111.8 million shares outstanding and a market cap of $38.0 million.
 
Energizer Resources Inc. (TSX: EGZ) (OTCQX: ENZR) (WKN: A1CXW3) (“Energizer” or the “Company”)

announces the initiation of a best-efforts agency private placement offering (the "Offering") of up to 37,500,000 special warrants of the Company ("Special Warrants") at a price of C$0.12 per Special Warrant, representing aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$4,500,000. Subscribers have the option to settle in US currency with the applicable exchange rate being applied.

Each Special Warrant entitles the holder to acquire, for no additional consideration, one unit (“Unit”) of Energizer, with each Unit comprised of one common share (“Common Share”) of Energizer and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant a “Warrant”) of Energizer. Each full Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share of Energizer at a price of US$0.14 per Common Share, for a period of 36 months following the Closing Date.

The Special Warrants will be deemed to be exercised without payment of additional consideration or further action, on the earlier of: (i) the third business day following the day upon which the Issuer obtains a receipt for a final prospectus (the “Final Prospectus”) qualifying the underlying Common Shares, the underlying Warrants, and the common shares underlying the Warrants (collectively the “Underlying Securities”) from the securities regulatory authority in each jurisdiction in which Special Warrants are sold under the Offering (and further provided that the Company has filed (and has in effect) a resale registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) in the United States with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the Underlying Securities; and (ii) that date that is six months following the closing of the Offering.

The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) file and obtain a receipt for the Final Prospectus and (ii) file (and have in effect) the Registration Statement as soon as reasonably practicable.

If the Company fails to obtain a final receipt for the Final Prospectus and file (and have in effect) the Registration Statement within 90 days following the closing of the Offering, the holders of Special Warrants will be entitled to receive 1.1 Common Shares (instead of one Common Share) and 0.55 of a Warrant (instead of 0.5 of a Warrant) on the deemed exercise of the Special Warrants.

In addition, the Agents (defined below) have been granted an option, exercisable at any time up until the closing of the Offering to sell an additional 7,500,000 Special Warrants for additional gross proceeds of up to C$900,000.

The Offering will be co-led by two Agents and may include a selling group. The Offering is being made on a best efforts agency basis and is expected to close on or about March 16, 2015. Completion of the Offering remains subject to approval of the applicable regulatory authorities, including the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Agents will be paid a cash commission in connection with the Offering equal to 7% of gross proceeds.

Building on the Company's achievement of completing its positive Feasibility Study ("FS") for its 100%-owned Molo graphite deposit in southern Madagascar announced on February 5, 2015, the net proceeds of the Offering will be used to further advance the Molo project. This will include the acceleration of certain facets of the project that are generally undertaken after the initial completion of a FS such as additional detailed engineering work and sensitivity analysis to ascertain further optimization of both Capital Expenditures and Operating Expenses. Part of the proceeds may also be used to conduct site visits with potential strategic partners, for required property related payments and for general working capital requirements.

From the date of issue, subject to the receipt of a Final Prospectus in all qualifying jurisdictions and the filing and effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (i) the Special Warrants and the underlying Common Shares and underlying Warrants will be subject to a minimum six-month hold period as required by U.S. securities laws, and will also be subject to a four-month and one day hold period (which will run concurrently with the six-month hold period) as required by Canadian securities laws and (ii) the common shares underlying the Warrants will be subject to additional hold periods that shall commence on the date the Underlying Warrants are exercised.
 
Focus Graphite Closes First Tranche of Offering

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - March 16, 2015 - Focus Graphite Inc., (TSX VENTURE:FMS)(OTCQX:FCSMF) (FRANKFURT:FKC) (“Focus” or the “Company”) announces today the closing of the first tranche of its previously announced private placement (the “Offering”) for gross proceeds of $2,051,758.10 (see Company’s news release dated March 2nd, 2015 for more details on the Offering). In total, the Company has issued 5,862,166 units (the “Units”) at a price of $0.35 per Unit, each Unit being comprised of one (1) common share of the Company and one half (½) of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a “Warrant”) with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one (1) additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.55 per share until March 13, 2017.

Stormcrow Capital Ltd. (“Stormcrow”), an exempt market dealer headquartered in Toronto (Ontario) acting as agent in connection with the Offering, received a cash commission equal to $143,623 and 410,351 non-transferable broker warrants, each broker warrant entitling Stormcrow the right to acquire one (1) common share of the Company at a price of $0.35 per share until March 13, 2017.

The Company anticipates proceeding shortly with the closing of the second tranche of the Offering and has received thus far several expressions of interest in this regard.

The securities issued in connection with the closing of the first tranche of the Offering are subject to a four-month hold period expiring on July 14, 2015. The Offering is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
 
Plan Nord: Focus Graphite Announces a Feasibility Study for Value Graphite Products

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - April 9, 2015 – Focus Graphite Inc. (“Focus” or the “Company”) (TSX-VENTURE:FMS) (OTCQX:FCSMF) (FRANKFURT:FKC) announced today the launch of a feasibility study for the construction of a transformation plant for value-added graphite products in Sept-Iles, Québec. The company’s aim is to become the first Canadian producer and exporter of technology grade graphite to meet the rising global demand for highly purified and shaped graphite used to manufacture anodes for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, targeted specifically for use in hybrid and electric vehicles for the growing energy storage market.

The timing of the Company’s announcement coincides with the launch of Québec Government’s Plan Nord action plan for 2015-2020 - its long-term economic and social development vision to sustainably develop the northern Québec territory between now and 2035. Focus is honoured to be one of the companies invited to attend the re-launch event of Québec’s Plan Nord.

As a stakeholder in Plan Nord, Focus Graphite is an advanced stage flake graphite mine development company and sole owner of the Lac Knife, Québec mining project, located 30 km south of Fermont, near the Québec-Labrador border. Graphite produced from the proposed Lac Knife mine can be sold in conventional graphite markets, but the superior quality of the graphite produced presents a greater opportunity to supply technology grade graphite to re-chargeable battery markets and portable electronic devices.

In May 2014 and in February 2015, the Company published its battery test results performed with Lac Knife spherical graphite. Those test results led to Focus’ decision to proceed with its formal evaluation of a high value graphite production plant. Currently, tests of the Company’s value added materials are ongoing with potential customers. Focus has also completed positive low-temperature thermal purification tests and other physical sizing and shaping methodology tests that form the basis for the value added graphite plant feasibility study now in progress.

The Lac Knife project has support from the local communities and a pre-development agreement with the Innu First Nation of Uashat mak Mani Utenam (“ITUM”) that was announced in October, 2014. Focus Graphite met with local communities and key stakeholders during the mine feasibility study to be able to adjust the project to address concerns. These meetings will continue throughout the life of the mine.

Environmental sustainability throughout the Company’s mine-to-market value chain is critical to Focus’ future customers. Both the Lac Knife and Sept-Iles development projects will be powered by clean energy supplied by Hydro-Québec that will in turn supply clean, environmentally sustainable materials to the green energy sector.

The growing demand for Li-ion batteries from electric vehicles and the energy storage market associated to solar and wind energy creates market opportunities for value-added graphite products. In addition, market demand for graphite foils that are used to dissipate heat in portable electronic devices such as cell phones, computers, tablets and laptops is also growing.

Because of that anticipated demand, coupled with forecasted lower levels of production and export of graphite from China, graphite is now considered a critical material by the United States and the European Union.

Meanwhile, Focus continues to advance its $166 million structured project financing for the Lac Knife mine development project and discussions to secure off take agreements for the Li-ion battery industry and other potential markets are ongoing. In August 2014, Focus Graphite published its positive feasibility study of the Lac Knife mine and concentrator and submitted its social and environmental impact assessment with the Québec Government in November 2014.

Following completion of the graphite transformation Feasibility Study in 2015, Focus will make a definitive schedule for the mine project and the transformation plant. Third party analysts estimate the price of spherical graphite that is produced from natural flake graphite at $8,000 per tonne.
 
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