On December 31, 2018, Australian listed company Syrah Resources announced that its lithium battery anode factory in Louisiana, the United States, has put into operation unpurified spherical graphite for the first time. The raw ore extends to the negative electrode of lithium battery.
Since the discovery of graphite deposits such as Balama in Mozambique, Mozambique has become an important resource country in the world due to its huge resources. According to the 5% graphite boundary grade, Balama graphite ore resources are 564 million tons, graphite grade is 9.8%, and vanadium grade is 0.2%, that is, graphite resources are 55.1 million tons. The Barama graphite mine has become the world's largest graphite mine.
With the promotion of Syrah, Balama began production in the fourth quarter of 2015 and completed the first product delivery in early 2017. At the same time as graphite mineral products are selling, active users are transforming from traditional industry customers (refractory materials, metallurgy, lubricants and friction products) to the emerging lithium battery industry. The raw material supplier is transformed into a lithium battery negative electrode supplier.
At present, the plant has an annual output of 5,000 tons of spherical graphite powder equipment in place and has begun production. It is expected that the purification equipment in place and mass production will be completed in the first quarter of 2019.