Sovereign Metals, an AIM-listed company, has confirmed that graphite from its Kasiya rutile/graphite project in Malawi meets key industry requirements for use in expandable and expanded graphite applications. These include fire retardants, gaskets, seals, and brake linings.
Comprehensive testwork conducted by ProGraphite and Dorfner Anzaplan in Germany has shown that Kasiya’s medium to coarse flake graphite achieves high expansion ratios under standard conditions.
This competitive edge positions the project as a strong contender among current and emerging graphite suppliers.
“Our ongoing graphite downstream application testing confirms that the high-quality Kasiya concentrate is well-suited for three key natural graphite markets:
- Anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (high-growth sector for graphite fines)
- Refractory materials (stable market for coarse flake graphite)
- Expandable and expanded graphite (growing market for medium to coarse flake graphite)
These results, combined with our industry-low cost structure, support Kasiya’s potential to become the world’s leading natural graphite supplier, while still maintaining its position as a primary rutile project,” said Managing Director and CEO Frank Eagar.
One key application for expandable graphite is in flame retardants, where its demand is increasing due to environmental and health concerns over traditional halogen-based retardants (such as brominated and chlorinated compounds).
Unlike these alternatives, expandable graphite provides a low-cost, low-smoke, and highly effective flame retardant solution, commonly used in polyurethane foams for the construction, chemical, and textile industries.
When exposed to fire, expandable graphite swells to form a protective layer, slowing down flame spread.
Meanwhile, expanded graphite plays a crucial role in gaskets, seals, brake linings, bi-polar plates for fuel cells, and thermal management in electronic devices, leveraging graphite’s inherent properties alongside the flexibility of its expanded form.
With these test results reinforcing Kasiya’s high-quality graphite potential, Sovereign Metals is well-positioned to become a major player in the natural graphite market, catering to both industrial and emerging high-growth sectors.
