Conducted at SGS Canada in Ontario, Canada, the trials involved purification of graphite concentrates that were produced by SGS during recently completed lock cycle tests, using a conventional hydrometallurgical process.

Mason Graphite president and CEO Benoît Gascon said that the company has reached 99.9% graphitic carbon without any optimization from the very first run of testing.

"These high purity levels are required in many industrial applications including electrochemical applications like Lithium-ion batteries which are used in electric vehicles, portable electronics and cordless power tools, which represent a significant and growing market," Gascon added.

A larger scale testing will be conducted by Mason Graphite to optimize the purification process and further enhance these results.