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Leading Edge Materials Update on Woxna Battery Grade High Purity Graphite Qualification
Published by Craig P at 3rd October 2016
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Vancouver, Canada – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (the “Company”) (TSXV: LEM) (OTCQB: LEMIF) is pleased to provide results from independent test work completed on samples of Woxna high purity spherical graphite. Test work was directed at characterization of the high purity graphite, and to determine its suitability for use in lithium ion battery anode manufacturing.

The high purity spherical graphite used in test work was produced using graphite concentrate from the Company’s 100% owned Woxna graphite mine and processing facility in Sweden. The Woxna project is fully permitted and operational ready for the annual production of approximately 10,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate.

The process to qualify graphite for the high quality lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles has many steps. These first rounds involve grams of material and then advances to kilograms followed by more extensive testing in tens of kilograms. Fortunately, we have sufficient stockpiles of graphite concentrates in our warehouse to advance through these many tests as expediently as possible over the coming months. This latest round of test work achieved high electrochemical performance results, and exceeded expectations in most measured values. The Woxna high purity spherical graphite exhibited high reversible capacity of 360 mAh/g that is close to the theoretical maximum of 372 mAh/g.

Blair Way, President and CEO, states: “This is an important step in the process to qualify Woxna graphite for the high value and growing lithium ion battery market. With a fully operational mine and process facility, we are in a strong position to become a partner of choice in the supply of high purity spherical graphite. I look forward to sharing the results of our testwork over the coming months as we progress to qualify our graphite mine products for lithium ion battery customers.”

The Woxna high purity spherical graphite was tested by Coulometrics LLC, an independent laboratory in the United States with extensive experience in the preparation of battery materials.

Coulometrics President and CEO, Dr. Edward Buiel states: “Our evaluation of the Woxna graphite concentrates produced very encouraging electrochemical results. The high reversible capacity of 360 mAh/g exceeds most battery manufacturer’s requirement of 350 mAh/g and makes this material well suited for further lithium ion battery development. Furthermore, we anticipate additional performance improvements in the Woxna material as additional process development and material optimization work is complete”.

Leading Edge Materials is now defining the next steps required to ensure high purity spherical graphite produced from the Woxna project in Sweden can meet the stringent demands of lithium ion battery cell manufacturers. With a fully permitted mine and processing facility, Leading Edge Materials is well positioned in the Western graphite industry, and can play a lead role in the secure and sustainable supply of high purity graphite to the expanding lithium ion battery market.

Lithium ion batteries, utilizing high purity spherical graphite, have become the technology of choice for the automotive, consumer electronic and stationary energy storage markets. Up to 20% by mass of a rechargeable lithium ion battery is graphite, forming the anode where lithium is temporarily stored as the battery discharges.

The current global rechargeable battery market is estimated to be valued at approximately US$50 billion, with one third contributed by lithium ion technology. By 2025, it is forecast (Bernstein, Deutsche Bank) that the lithium ion market will grow by up to 4 times, driven in particular by the accelerated uptake in the automotive market. Goldman Sachs predicts 37% of new vehicle sales globally will be Electric (EV) or Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) by 2025 up from less than 2% of sales today.

While lithium ion batteries have traditionally utilized synthetic graphite for the anode, as markets grow and battery cost per kilowatt hour falls, the battery industry is shifting to purified natural flake graphite material, to lower both the cost and the environmental burden of lithium ion battery production. In 2016, global demand for graphite for all battery types is estimated to exceed 125,000t (Roskill), with natural graphite accounting for around 90,000t (70-75%). Tesla’s “gigafactory” in Nevada, forecast to begin production of lithium ion batteries in late 2016, shall alone require a significant expansion in the global production of high purity spherical graphite.

The Woxna project has never defined a mineral reserve and the previous preliminary economic assessment on Woxna dated October 29, 2013, has been superseded by the Company’s current technical report dated May 11, 2015. As the Woxna facility is not in production but remains on a production ready status, any future decision to recommence mining at Woxna will not be based on a preliminary economic assessment demonstrating the potential viability of mineral resources or feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Under these circumstances, there is increased risk of technical and economic failure for the Woxna project, and the Company discloses additional risk factors relating thereto. The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit. Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved. Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve any anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s cash flow and future profitability. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

 

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Leading Edge Stakes the Bergby Lithium Project in Sweden
Published by Craig P at 19th October 2016
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Vancouver, Canada – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (“the Company”) (TSXV:LEM) (OTCQB: LEM) is pleased to announce the discovery of the Company’s first lithium project, Bergby, located in central Sweden, 25km north of the town of Gävle.

Mapping and sampling of the Bergby claim has located a large number of angular pegmatitic and aplitic lithium-mineralized boulders within an area of 650 metres by 250 metres. Lithium is hosted within the minerals spodumene and petalite. Analytical results for the first 27 boulder samples have been received, and average 0.85% Li2O (lithium oxide) and range from 0.08% Li2O to 2.3% Li2O. The boulders are anomalous in other elements which characterize lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites that are regularly associated with lithium deposits (table 1).

Blair Way, President and CEO, stated “We have been actively searching for lithium projects for some time, and are very pleased to have discovered a prospect with the potential of Bergby very close to our Woxna graphite mine. This projects sits well within our strategy of acquiring low holding cost assets while we advance our graphite business model to supply the lithium Ion battery market. The lithium grades of the boulders and the scale of the project areas discovered to date demonstrate the prospectivity of the project. We look forward to following up with ground geophysics and geochemical sampling, with the aim to diamond drill test Bergby this winter”.

The Bergby project was discovered by Leading Edge Materials’ geological team utilizing geological data maintained by the Swedish Geological Survey (“SGU”). The SGU holds a very extensive database of mineralized boulders previously discovered across Sweden, including many that have never had significant follow-up. Leading Edge Materials’ geologists identified lithium prospective boulders within this dataset, and subsequent field prospecting discovered the presence of an extensive lithium (Li) and tantalum (Ta) mineralized boulder field at Bergby. Bergby is located close to infrastructure, with major roads, rail and power supply passing immediately adjacent to the claim boundaries.

Follow-up work at Bergby includes further prospecting of areas along 700 metre trend from the initial discovery. Specifically, the company plans to undertake a ground magnetic survey and shallow soil sampling to cover the most prospective area of the claims, with the eventual aim to be able diamond drill test Bergby this winter. Additional geochemical results will be released as they come to hand.

Lithium has a strong and expanding market, due to the essential role it plays in lithium-based batteries for the automotive, consumer product and stationary electrify storage industries. The high electrochemical potential of lithium results in the high power to weight ratio that is essential for efficient mobile batteries. Europe is investing heavily in these emerging battery technologies, as part of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Lithium was discovered in Sweden in 1817 by Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson, and named from the Greek word lithos, describing the rock from which it was extracted. Furthermore, the lithium minerals spodumene and petalite which are the ore-minerals in most hard rock lithium mines globally, were both first discovered and named in Sweden.

 

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Leading Edge Materials Partners with the LEAP Synergy Project in Sweden
Published by Craig P at 21st October 2016
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Vancouver, Canada – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (“the Company”) (TSXV:LEM) (OTCQB: LEMIF) is pleased to announce that Swedish government funding has been committed for the Large Area Electronic Platform (LEAP) project, of which Leading Edge Materials is a founding partner. A total of 13 million Swedish Kronor (approximately US$1.5 million) has been committed by KK-Stiftelsen, a fund that supports research and expertise development at Sweden’s newer universities.

The LEAP project aims to identify low-cost, large-scale solutions for the production of low carbon energy, with focus on three sub-projects. A “glass-on-paper” sub-project will develop a substrate for printed electronics; a “printed conductor” project will develop methods for the printing of metal and graphene-based conductors; and a “thermoelectric” sub-project will demonstrate a printed thermoelectric generator using materials develop in the other sub-projects. The printed thermoelectric generator will convert waste heat to electrical energy.

Leading Edge Materials shall provide graphite and graphene based-materials for this important Swedish research project.

Blair Way, President and CEO, stated “We are proud to be partnered with this innovative group of companies and look forward to providing further updates on our contribution to the LEAP project”.

The LEAP research project shall contribute key knowledge for the rapidly expanding markets in the harvesting (solar cells and thermoelectric generators) and storage (batteries and supercapacitors) of low carbon energy. Seven industry partners from different positions along the value chain are participating, all of which have the opportunity to seek market applications.

 

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Graphite Companies Announce Spherical Graphite Test Facility Begins Operations

(Toronto, Ontario – October 27, 2016) Elcora Advanced Materials Corp (TSXV:ERA) ("Elcora"), Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV:NGC) (“Northern”), Nouveau Monde Mining Enterprises Inc. (TSXV: NOU) (“Nouveau Monde”), Metals of Africa Limited (ASX:MTA) (“MTA”), Pyrotek Incorporated (“Pyrotek”), and Coulometrics LLC (“Coulometrics”) are pleased to announce that the micronizing and spheronizing mill acquired by the group has been installed and is operational. The mill is being used to produce and optimize the yield of spherical graphite (“SPG”) from various mine concentrates and to maximize its performance. SPG is the anode material used in lithium ion batteries (“LiBs”). Ultimately, the goal of all parties is to develop next generation and high-yield spheronization technology to meet the demanding cost targets of automotive LiB applications and to achieve full qualification of materials for use by LiB manufacturers. All participating companies will share any spheronizing technologies that are developed.

The mill is located at Coulometrics’ battery production and test facility in Tennessee, USA. The development and testing process will be lead by Dr. Edward Buiel who commented: "We can now produce and test coated SPG from end to end within North America which will rapidly advance our development efforts. Our goal is to develop next generation, high performance anode materials for LiBs at a significantly lower cost and with a greatly reduced environmental footprint compared to existing processes. The process to produce LIB-grade anode material has been partially funded by the United States’ National Science Foundation and Department of Energy.”

Northern also announces that Stephen Thompson, CFO has resigned to pursue another opportunity. The Board would like to thank him for his contributions to the Company and wish him well in future endeavors.

Coulometrics, LLC is a leading provider of energy storage consulting and advanced battery component manufacturing services. Dr. Edward Buiel, President and CEO of Coulometrics, has a Ph. D. in Physics and 20 years of experience developing carbon-based materials for lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors. Coulometrics has a unique combination of expertise that includes graphite processing for lithium ion batteries and full cell electrode coating, calendaring, cell assembly, and testing.

For further information please contact Troy Grant, President and CEO of Elcora (902) 802-8847, Gregory Bowes, CEO of Northern (613) 241-9959, Eric Desaulniers, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde
(819) 923-0333, Michael Sekedat, Business Manager at Pyrotek (509) 921-2854, Cherie Leeden, Managing Director of MTA +61 8 9322 7600, or Dr. Edward Buiel, President and CEO of Coulometrics (423) 954-7766.

Elcora was founded in 2011 and has been structured to become a vertically integrated graphite & graphene company that mines, processes, refines graphite, and produces both the micro graphite suited for Lithium-ion battery anodes and graphene. As part of the vertical integration strategy, Elcora has secured high-grade graphite and graphene precursor graphite from its interest in the operation of the Ragedara mine in Sri Lanka which is already in production. Elcora has developed a unique low cost effective ecological processes to make high quality graphite, micro-graphite and graphene that are commercially scalable. This combination means that Elcora has vertically integrated the tools and resources required to produce graphite, micro-graphite and graphene. Ian Flint, Ph.D., P. Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 who has reviewed and is responsible for the Elcora technical information presented in this news release.

Northern’s Bissett Creek graphite deposit is an advanced, pre-development stage project that has a Feasibility Study and its major environmental permit. Subject to the completion of operational and species at risk permitting, which are at an advanced stage, Northern is in a position to commence construction in 2017 subject to the availability of financing. Northern believes that the Bissett Creek project has the best flake size distribution and highest margin of any new graphite project and has the added advantage of low capital costs and realistic production targets relative to the size of the market. Gregory Bowes, B.Sc. MBA, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and is responsible for Northern’s technical information in this news release.

Nouveau Monde owns the Matawinie’s Tony graphite deposit discovered by the company in 2015 on which a 43-101 Preliminary Economical Assessment was completed in June 2016 which demonstrated strong economics for the production of 50,000 tpy of high purity flake graphite for 25.7 years with solid a operational margin and relatively low capital expenditure (http://nouveaumonde.ca/matawinie-summary/). The project is located in the Saint-Michel-des-Saints area, some 130 km north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada with direct access to all needed infrastructure, labor and green and affordable hydroelectricity. Nouveau Monde is developing its project with the highest corporate social responsibility standards and the lowest environmental footprint (targeting a net zero carbon emission operation). Eric Desaulniers, M.Sc., P.Geo., a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 guidelines, has reviewed and is responsible for Nouveau Monde’s technical information presented in this news release.

 

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Leading Edge Materials Engages European Lithium Ion Battery Experts
Published by Craig P at 27th October 2016
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Vancouver, Canada – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (“the Company”) (TSXV:LEM) (OTCQB: LEMIF) is pleased announce that Taranis GmbH (“Taranis”), a German consulting firm with extensive experience in the production of lithium ion batteries, has been retained to provide strategic advisory services to the Company.

Taranis will support Leading Edge Materials in the development of a work program to accelerate commercialization of Woxna graphite concentrates for the European lithium ion battery market. Taranis bring a team experienced in lithium ion battery research and production to assist with engagement with end users in the European Union.

Blair Way, President and CEO, stated “this agreement provides Leading Edge Materials with critical technical expertise and access to a deep network within the European lithium ion battery market.”.

Taranis GmbH is represented by Mr. Frits Obers and Mr. Stefan Theuerkauf. Mr. Obers was previously Managing Director of GAIA Akkumulatorenwerke GmbH (“GAIA”), one of the first battery cell producers in the European Union. During his 5-year tenure, Mr Obers was responsible for overseeing lithium ion battery projects for the automotive, shipping, military and aerospace industries. Prior to joining GAIA, Mr. Obers was a partner of an international consulting firm.

Prior to Taranis GmbH, Mr Theuerkauf was head of product and process development, and process engineering at GAIA for 12 years. In this position, he headed up multi-disciplinary development teams which designed and built complex battery systems for both mobility and stationary storage. Projects completed by Mr Theuerkauf include hybrid racing car, electric vehicles, backup storage systems, military submarines, rockets, and a solar powered ship.

 

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Leading Edge Materials Stakes the Vena Cobalt Project in Sweden
Published by Craig P at 2nd November 2016
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Vancouver, Canada – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (“the Company”) (TSXV:LEM) (OTCQB: LEMIF) announces the staking of the Company’s first cobalt-copper project, Vena, located in central Sweden, approximately 250 km southwest of Stockholm. The project lies in the County of Orebro, and is secured by Leading Edge Material’s 350 Ha Vena nr 5 claim.

Key points:

• Acquisition, by staking, of the Company’s first cobalt project, Vena, located in central Sweden;
• Vena is a site of extensive historic mining activity including 200 separate pits over an area of more than 2500 metres by 500 metres. The deepest workings extend to only 68 metres in depth;
• Cobalt plays an essential role in lithium ion batteries for the automotive, consumer product and stationary electrify storage industries. Annual consumption of cobalt is forecast to double to 200,000 tonnes over the next decade;
• Historic data will be reviewed and a program defined for advancing the project.

Blair Way, President and CEO, stated: “The Vena cobalt project provides Leading Edge Materials with a further step into the lithium ion battery raw material supply chain for the European market. We continue to work diligently to add low holding cost, strategic high quality projects to our critical materials portfolio whilst progressing our high value graphite product development.”

The Vena field is located 7 kilometres north of the Zinkgruvan mine and concentrator, one of Sweden’s most significant mining operations. The Vena mining field is a site of extensive historic mining activity including 200 separate pits over an area of more than 2500 metres by 500 metres. The deepest workings extend to 68 metres in depth. Mining of Vena cobalt and copper mineralization commenced in 1770 and continued until approximately 1870, during which time more than 500 workers are reported to have been employed on site.

Cobalt plays an essential role in lithium ion batteries for the automotive, consumer product and stationary electrify storage industries. Industry analysts at Benchmark Minerals forecast annual consumption of cobalt will double to 200,000 tonnes over the next decade due to the accelerated uptake of lithium ion batteries for the storage of low carbon energy. Approximately 50% of cobalt is presently sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with an extremely high and unsustainable social impact. Europe is investing heavily in lithium ion battery technologies, and is seeking sustainable supply of cobalt, lithium and graphite which are critical for lithium ion batteries.

Host rock to mineralization at Vena is quartz-biotite-muscovite gneiss within a broader sequence of intermediate metavolcanics and metasediments. This sequence is equivalent to the Zinkgruvan mine host. Both Zinkgruvan and Vena display large areas of potassic alteration that may be indicative of mineralization. Mapping has determined that workings are developed in several major trends, exposed discontinuously over their length to a maximum strike of 750 metres. These lines of mineralization occur as a series of en echelon, parallel or anastomosing branches throughout the field. Mapping, sampling and historic records indicate high grade copper – cobalt mineralization, with grades more than 1% copper mined from lensoidal steeply plunging shoots across the 500m wise mineralized zone. Each shoot was typically 5 to 15 metres long and 3 to 6 metres wide, whilst peripheral zones of up to 5 metres each side of the higher grade shoots of approximately 0.4% copper were left unmined.

Historic data from the Vena Cobalt project is being be compiled, which shall enable a future work program to be defined.

 

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Leading Edge Materials Expands Landholding at Bergby Lithium Project, Sweden
Published by Craig P at 4th November 2016
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Vancouver, Canada – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (the “Company”) (TSXV:LEM) (OTCQB: LEMIF) is pleased to announce the discovery of additional lithium mineralized boulders at the Company’s 100% owned Bergby project, and the staking of additional permits over this prospective ground.

The Bergby project lies in central Sweden, 25km north of the town of Gavle, and with two additional exploration permits, the claim area now totals 1903 Ha. The site is close to infrastructure, with major roads, rail and power supply passing immediately adjacent to the claim boundaries.

Further mapping and sampling at Bergby has located many new large angular lithium mineralized boulders of pegmatite and aplite. Analytical results for an additional 14 boulder samples have been received, where Li2O (lithium oxide) averaged 1.48% and ranged from 0.22 to 4.56%; and Ta2O5 (tantalum pentoxide) averaged 170 ppm and ranged from 1 ppm to 414 ppm.

A total of 41 boulders have now been sampled from the Bergby boulder field, with results provided in Table 1. The results to date are highly encouraging for a newly discovered prospect, with numerous high grade boulders located. A clear boulder field in excess of 600m long and up to 200m wide is now well defined. The boulders are anomalous in other elements which characterize lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites that are regularly associated with economic hard rock lithium deposits.

Work is now underway to locate additional boulders or outcrop, and prepare for ground magnetic surveying to better define a bedrock drill target.

Blair Way, President and CEO, stated: “The presence of so many lithium mineralized boulders, including some with very high grades, is an encouraging sign for the Bergby prospect. We will now move quickly to acquire additional data and define potential drill targets.”

Lithium has a strong and expanding market, due to the essential role it plays in lithium-based batteries for the automotive, consumer product and stationary electrify storage industries. The high electrochemical potential of lithium results in the high power to weight ratio that is essential for efficient mobile batteries. Europe is investing heavily in these emerging battery technologies, as part of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

 

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Zenyatta Receives Invitation to Participate in a Networking Event with the Global Defence IndustryThunder Bay, ON



7 November 2016



Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. (“Zenyatta” or “Company”) (TSXV: ZEN) is pleased to announce that the Company has been invited to participate in the Best Defence Conference located in London, Ontario, Canada during the second week of November.

Heather Pilot, President of Pilot Hill and lead organizer of the event stated “We recognized Zenyatta as a Canadian Company with a new and important possible source of a nano-material called graphene. Materials science is a critical component of innovation presently carried out in the defence sector to make all things lighter and stronger. For this reason, Zenyatta was rated and selected to be featured as a presenter in the Technology Showcase area of the conference. The conference will provide an opportunity for Zenyatta to meet and talk with attendees and sponsors such as General Dynamics European Land Systems, Lockheed Martin Canada, KONGSBERG, General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and a host of other attendees.”

The conference is designed for Canadian and international companies seeking strategic partnerships and procurement opportunities in the defence and security market. The conference provides an intimate forum to present and meet one on one with the global defence industry as well as Canadian government representatives. The Best Defence event has become known for its success in securing business and fostering relationships between companies. It brings together Canadian and international companies to learn of defence procurement and supply chain opportunities as well as providing a setting for networking.

Aubrey Eveleigh, President and CEO stated “We are very pleased to receive an invitation to the Best Defence Conference. It provides Zenyatta with a significant platform to discuss our unique graphite material with international corporations and to possibly form strategic partnerships. Zenyatta has already initiated a collaborative pilot plant project with Larisplast Ltd. and Ben-Gurion University in Israel to develop a new cement admixture containing graphene for high performance concrete that may find use in several defence related applications.”

Recently Zenyatta’s graphite material was tested by independent R&D teams in Canada, Israel & Japan and found to convert much easier and with higher yields of graphene nano-particles than any other natural graphite types that were tested. Feedback from collaborators to date has suggested that this is related to the crystalline structure, particle size and purity as produced from Zenyatta’s unique ‘volcanic’ type graphite.

Graphene has a wide range of properties (extremely light and strong with very high thermal and electrical conductivity). It is widely expected to lead to new and improved applications for aerospace and defence such as advanced lightweight ballistic body armour, thermal imaging, sensors, smart camouflage systems and lighter / stronger military equipment.

Zenyatta’s strategy is to continue development of the Albany Graphite deposit under a pre-feasibility and at the same time advance work towards commercial applications with several collaborative partners. This includes the development of graphene applications as well as continued work on Li-ion batteries, fuel cells and powder metallurgy with our global collaborations.

 

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Mason Graphite Announces Further Investment in Group NanoXplore Inc.

November 8, 2016
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MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - Nov. 8, 2016) - Mason Graphite Inc. ("Mason Graphite" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:LLG)(OTCQX:MGPHF) is pleased to announce that, as originally mentioned in its press releases issued on September 6th and 27th, 2016, the Company has completed an additional equity investment of $1,000,000 in Group NanoXplore Inc. (''NanoXplore").

After its initial investment in February 2014 and after giving effect to this investment, Mason Graphite's equity interest in NanoXplore now stands at 32.5% of the new total amount of shares outstanding. Mason Graphite remains NanoXplore's sole graphite supplier and acts as commercialisation agent.

Benoît Gascon, President and CEO of Mason Graphite, commented: "We have been very happy with the business progression of NanoXplore and its industrialization strategy which focuses on markets with large potential like all the polymers applications among others. All current users of graphite being potential users of graphene, this partnership aligns perfectly with our commercial strategy."

More information about this financing is available in a press release issued by NanoXplore in which Soroush Nazarpour, President and CEO of NanoXplore, commented: "NanoXplore will use the funds raised to scale production of graphene from 4 to 64 metric tonnes per year, and to help its customers develop new and innovative products using graphene-enhanced polymers." NanoXplore recently increased the footprint of its manufacturing facility, which was commissioned in 2015, from 8,500 sq. foot to 24,000 sq. foot.

Further to the closing of the bought deal private placement offering announced on September 27th, 2016, Mason Graphite reports that insiders of Mason Graphite purchased an aggregate of 17,590,909 common shares. Accordingly, the private placement is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Regulation 61-101 respecting Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("Regulation 61-101"). Since the fair market value of the consideration for the common shares issued to insiders did not exceed 25% of Mason Graphite's market capitalization, Mason Graphite relied on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of Regulation 61-101 contained in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of Regulation 61-101.

On October 26, 2016, the Board adopted a new stock option plan to replace its rolling stock option plan by a fixed number stock option plan (the "New Stock Option Plan"). The TSX Venture Exchange has conditionally approved the New Stock Option Plan on November 3, 2016. The Company's previous stock option plan was adopted on September 11, 2012 and was last approved by the shareholders of the Company at its annual meeting on December 15, 2015. Under the New Stock Option Plan, the Company is authorized to grant stock options for a maximum of 11,000,000 common shares, which is less than 10% of its issued and outstanding common shares. As of the date hereof, there is an aggregate of 7,413,333 options outstanding, which represents approximately 6.5% of the total number of issued and outstanding common shares of the Company.

About Group NanoXplore Inc.

NanoXplore is a Montreal-based advanced materials company and Canada's largest producer of graphene. NanoXplore supplies few layer graphene powder, masterbatch pellets of graphene-enhanced polymers, and blow and injection molded products. NanoXplore's core technology is a patented, low-cost and environmentally friendly process to manufacture high quality graphene from natural flake graphite. This graphene is used to engineer high performance composites by dispersing small amounts of graphene into polymers to enhance their mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. NanoXplore creates innovative products for applications including electric motors, enclosures with EMI shielding and thermal management, piping, impermeable containers, surface vehicles and next generation batteries.

 

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Energizer Resources Outlines Phased Development Plan for Molo Graphite Project Based on FEED Study Results