F L AKE G RAPHI T E M ET AL L URG Y 26 I ndepe n de n t M et al l ur g i c al O per at i on s P t y Lt d I M O i n P er t h A us t r al i a c om pl et ed t es t w or k on a c om pos i t e d s am pl e of G eum am g r aphi t i c dr i l l c or e head g r ade 10 2 T G C I M O f oun d t he G eum am g r aphi t e t o be v er y f i ne g r ai ne d T hey hav e ac hi ev ed r ec ov er i es of 93 4 and 93 3 us i ng an open c i r c ui t and r oug her r eg r i nd c l e a n e r t es t s at an i ni t i al g r i nd s i z e of P 95 100 180 m i c r ons I M O ar e c onf i de n t t hat f ur t her r ef i nem e n t of t he f l ow s heet w i l l upg r ade r ec ov er i es t o 94 95 w hi c h w oul d f i t pr ef er r ed m ar k et g r ade V er y f i ne g r aphi t e i s t y pi c al l y us ed f or hi g h pow er hi g h w or k r at e appl i c at i o n s s uc h as m obi l e t el epho n es as c om par e d w i t h c oar s er g r aphi t e m at er i al t y pi c al of A f r i c an depo s i t s w hi c h c an be ex pande d us i ng heat pr oc es s i ng and i s us ed f or r ef r ac t i ng A G er m an g r aphi t e ex per t has i ndi c at ed t hat t he s i z e di s t r i but i on of t he G eum am c onc ent r a t e as det er m i ne d by I M O l as er s i z i ng w or k m ay be s ui t abl e f or s pher oi di s a t i o n r ef i ni ng w i t h an end us e i n l i t hi um i on c oi n bat t er i es 3k g of c onc ent r a t e pr oduc t i s bei ng pr epar ed f or t he s pher oi d i s a t i o n t es t w or k I M O r ec om m e nd s t hat bas ed on t hei r t es t r es ul t s t he nex t s t eps s houl d i nc l ude a c onc ept ua l s t udy t o es t i m at e pr oj ec t ec onom i c s T hey s ug g es t t hat t he c onc ent r at e i s us ed t o r epl i c at e and t es t a c om m er c i al bene f a c t i o n c ir c u it P l anne d t es t w or k D et er m i ne s pher oi di s a t i o n par am et e r s D et er m i ne r ef i ni ng r eag ent s and f l ow s heet s and C onf i r m t hat t he s pher oi d i s e d r ef i ned g r ap hi t e i s s ui t abl e f or us e i n l i t hi um i on c oi n c el l bat t er i es I M O hav e pr epar ed pr opos al s and c os t i ng s f or bul k c onc en t r at e g en e r at i o n a c onc ept u a l s t udy s pher oi d i s a t i o n r ef i ner y and bat t er y t es t w or k