Graphite technology specialist Green Critical Minerals (ASX: GCM) has received test results which have exceeded industry benchmarks in its maiden development at its VHD Technology pilot plant in New South Wales.

The first run of VHD graphite test blocks in line 1 at the plant has successfully produced 12 test samples of VHD graphite coins for initial testing.

Notably, density testing revealed outstanding results on first samples including best average density of 1,959 kg/m3 and Best peak density of 1,979 kg/m3.

The achieved densities surpassed industry standards for nuclear graphite (1,700–1,900 kg/m3) and electrode graphite (1,550–1,800 kg/m3) on the first pass.

Significant milestone achieved

Managing director, Clinton Booth, said the company had reached a significant milestone in the wet commissioning process at the pilot plant.

“Achieving such exceptional density properties on this first commissioning run, without any optimisation, is a testament to the quality and potential of our VHD technology and process. These results validate our confidence in the technology and importantly, position us as leaders in the production of high- performance graphite globally,” he said.

“To see our unoptimised samples outperforming industry benchmarks, such as nuclear-grade and electrode-grade graphite, demonstrates the transformative capabilities of our innovative VHD Technology. This success highlights the environmental and economic advantages of our production process, delivering superior properties faster and at a lower cost than traditional methods.”

“What excites the team the most is our position in the market to benefit from the growing demand across multiple sectors requiring VHD graphite blocks, including advanced electronics, renewable energy, and industrial processes.

Further testing planned

The company is now preparing for further testing, including thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity. These properties will be evaluated next by external labs to test the material’s performance using these first commissioning run samples.

The primary objective of this first commissioning run was to test the full operational cycle of the pilot plant. This was successfully achieved and the fact that the samples produced during this phase achieved densities approaching peak benchmark values underscores the inherent quality of the VHD Technology, the quality of graphite produced and the effectiveness of the production process.

Mr Booth said results to date confirm that Green Critical Minerals’ unoptimised VHD process delivers superior graphite properties at a lower cost and in a shorter period of time, with first coin samples produced as part of the wet commissioning process.

“These results provide a solid foundation for further optimisation and refinement, which are expected to enhance performance metrics in subsequent runs,” he said.