U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency Highlights Graphite One and Vorbeck Materials' Project to Develop Environmentally-Friendly Graphite-Based Foam Fire-Fighting Material
Graphite-Based Foam Fire Suppressant Aims to Meet Military-Specifications and Also Fire-Fighting Needs for Local Communities
New Graphite Formulation Could Replace Carcinogenic and Environmentally-Damaging Incumbent Material
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - Graphite One Inc. (TSXV: GPH) (OTCQX: GPHOF) ("Graphite One", "G1" or the "Company"), reported today that the U.S. Department of Defense's ("DoD") Defense Logistics Agency ("DLA") has released a video on the Congressionally-funded project of Graphite One and Vorbeck Materials Corp. of Maryland and North Dakota to develop an alternative to the incumbent firefighting foam used by the U.S. Military Services and civilian firefighting agencies, using environmentally-friendly graphite sourced from G1's Graphite Creek deposit near Nome, Alaska. The video, showing current testing of the material, can be seen at this Defense Logistics Agency link, click here.
Graphite One Logo (CNW Group/Graphite One Inc.)
"The Defense Logistics Agency, the nation's logistics combat support agency, works with emerging technologies, we do innovation…, looking for short and long-term projects related to new technologies," said Gloria Edwards, DLA R&D project manager. "This is a Congressionally-funded project, where we are working with Graphite One and Vorbeck." The project, funded by a DLA grant of US$4.7 million, is currently underway.
"Vorbeck's role is to develop new chemistries and new formulations to come up with a fluorine-free, PFAS free, environmentally-friendly, highly effective firefighting foam," said John Lettow, CEO of Vorbeck Materials. "Currently, the firefighting foams contain PFAS, which is carcinogenic, so we are looking for alternatives that perform similarly to the older products," said Mike Schaffner, Senior Vice President of Operations for Graphite One. "The graphite derivatives are showing great promise in this area."
Meeting Military Specifications; Helping Local Community Firefighters
"Our goal is to have a formulation that will perform at a very high-level, and can go through military-standard certification," continued Mr. Lettow, "and then at the end of that certification, we would aim to be able to manufacture this… to provide to the DoD. The Navy is one of the key stakeholders because it has some of the most hazardous environments…. Airplanes with jet fuel, carrying large amounts of ordinance in a very confined space where there is no escape from a fire. So you have to be able to fight those fires effectively…, and make those areas safe."
The project goes beyond the U.S. Military's exacting requirements for fire-fighting, as Mr. Schaffner notes: "It really comes down to how these products perform in the field and how well they protect the military. But it goes well beyond that: These foams will be used in residential fire districts to help local firefighters also."
"The project impacts people's lives in multiple arenas. First of all are the firefighters themselves, who need an effective way of combatting complex fuel and chemical fires, secondly you have the service members and the equipment, and you want to maintain the safety of the service members and also the equipment effectiveness," said Mr. Lettow. "Third of all, because the chemical we're replacing is a persistent chemical in the environment, this project really affects all of us, in our drinking water and the chemicals in our bodies, and so it maintains the health and safety of the firefighters, the service members, and the general population and the environment."
The DLA grant is one of two DoD grants Graphite One has received since 2023, the other being a US$37.5 million Defense Production Act Title III to accelerate the completion of the Graphite Creek Feasibility Study, which is on track for completion in Q1 2025.
Graphite One's Domestic Supply Chain Strategy
With the United States almost 100 percent import dependent for anode active materials, Graphite One is developing a complete U.S.-based, advanced graphite supply chain solution anchored by the Graphite Creek deposit, recognized by the US Geological Survey as the largest graphite deposit in the U.S. "and among the largest in the world." The Graphite One Project plan includes an advanced graphite material and battery anode material manufacturing plant located in Warren, Ohio. The plan also includes a recycling facility to reclaim graphite and the other battery materials, to be co-located at the Ohio site, the third link in Graphite One's circular economy strategy. The building of these facilities remains subject to financing.
About Graphite One Inc.
GRAPHITE ONE INC. continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the "Project") to become an American producer of high-grade anode materials that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and manufacture anode active materials primarily for the lithium‐ion electric vehicle battery market. As set forth in the Company's 2022 Pre-Feasibility Study, graphite mineralization mined from the Company's Graphite Creek Property, situated on the Seward Peninsula about 60 kilometers north of Nome, Alaska, would be processed into concentrate at an adjacent processing plant. Natural and artificial graphite anode active materials and other value‐added graphite products would be manufactured from the concentrate and other materials at Graphite One's proposed advanced graphite materials manufacturing facility to be located in northeastern Ohio.
About Vorbeck Materials Corp.
Vorbeck Materials, founded in 2006, focuses on developing innovative products and solutions based on graphene, a disruptive, highly conductive and strong nanomaterial made of a single layer of carbon atoms. Our graphene material, VOR-X™, is unique in that we can produce it at large-scale and integrate it into numerous solutions. VOR-INK™ formulations harness the exceptional conductivity of graphene to produce ultra-flexible and robust inks and coatings for the printed electronics market. Our VOR-X™ technology also delivers demonstrable performance gains in energy and mechanical applications, breaking traditional technology trade-offs between typical challenges, such as battery capacity and power output, or composite material strength versus weight. Currently, Vorbeck graphene has immediate applications in high-performance conformal antennas and electromagnetic interference shielding. Vorbeck manufactures all of its products in the USA from facilities in Maryland and North Dakota.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
"Anthony Huston" (signed)
For more information on Graphite One Inc., please visit the Company's website, www.GraphiteOneInc.com
On X @GraphiteOne
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including those related to the successful development and commercialization of a fluorine and PFAS free firefighting foam, the anticipated environmental impacts, and events or developments that the Company intends, expects, plans, or proposes are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward‐looking information can be identified by the use of forward‐looking terminology such as "proposes", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "plans", "is planning", "intends", "assumes", "believes", "indicates", "to be" or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The Company cautions that there is no certainty that tests of the Company's material will be successful or that such tests will result in the development of successful products. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.
