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Grafoid Announces the Addition of Dr. Michael E. Shannon to its Advisory Board to Provide Insight and Guidance for Bio-Medical Applications and Systems


OTTAWA — Grafoid Inc. (“GRAFOID”) is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Michael E. Shannon M.A., M.Sc., M.D. to its Advisory Board where he will draw on his extensive experience developing bio-medical applications – from inception to national deployments – to lend insight and guidance on Grafoid’s portfolio of bio-medical applications and systems. Having received a medical degree from Queen’s University in Canada, which included advanced training in surgery and sports medicine, Dr. Shannon also holds post-graduate degrees in neurochemistry and physiology. He has been actively engaged in applied medical research within these areas for over 27 years.

As a member of the Canadian Forces for 31 years, Dr. Shannon retired at the rank of Commodore (Brigadier General equivalent) as Deputy Surgeon General for Canada. He also served as the senior medical liaison officer for all of the Canadian forces during the first Gulf War.

In 1996 he assumed responsibilities within Health Canada for re-organizing the Canadian blood system. Working with both the provincial and federal governments he oversaw the development of a new corporate entity dedicated exclusively to the management of blood services in Canada. He was then appointed Director General for the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, a position he held for three years.

In December 2000, Dr. Shannon left the Canadian Federal Government to pursue a new career in industry. In that capacity he simultaneously directed several phase III clinical trials in Canada, the United States and Great Britain for an artificial blood substitute product. Following completion of that work he was asked to accept a special two year assignment with the Canadian Federal Government Auditor General’s office. As Senior Medical Advisor and Audit Principal, his assignment was  to conduct a cost benefit analysis of all government sponsored pharmacare programs and make recommendations directly to the Parliament of Canada. His assignment and presentation to Parliament was completed in November 2004.

Dr. Shannon was then asked to assist the Canadian Public Health Agency (Center for Disease Control equivalent in the United States) as Senior Medical Advisor to the Agency. His responsibility was to direct the rebuilding of the Emergency Medical Response Capacity for Canada. In this regard and under his direction, the largest emergency medical response exercise in the history of the country, involving the overnight construction of a mobile hospital, hundreds of doctors and thousands of patients, was successfully held in Toronto in December of 2007.

Dr. Shannon has been actively engaged in medical bio-oxidative (O3 based) research since 1987 and was directly responsible for the first human clinical trial to have ever been approved in North America which examined the efficacy of O3 delivered via minor autohemotherapy in the treatment of AIDS. He was also responsible for several primate studies utilizing O3 involving scientists from various departments within the Canadian Federal Government including the Animal Disease Research Institute, as well as senior investigators from Cornell University.

Dr. Shannon has served as the Senior Medical Advisor to Medizone International since 2004. In August of 2008 he accepted a position on the Board of Directors of Medizone International and assumed responsibility for medical affairs. In October 2009, he was additionally appointed the President of the Canadian Foundation for Global Health.

With great enthusiasm, Dr Shannon assumes an active role as the medical advisor on an exciting new anti-microbial program at Grafoid. In addition, he will share insight and guidance on a number of other high-growth biomedical applications such as antimicrobial coatings, composite materials for implants, exo-skeleton applications, drug delivery systems technology, water filtration and gas systems and bio-medical devices. “The term innovation is vastly over used these days” stated Dr Shannon, “What I have seen of these new Grafoid developments however,  challenges one’s imagination in terms of trying to fully appreciate their potential impact on this world. Suffice it to say that they are all potential game changers and I am honoured to have the opportunity to contribute”

Gary Economo, CEO of Grafoid shares his outlook on Dr. Shannon’s involvement stating that, “The ability of a company to produce the disruptive products that will shape tomorrow is directly impacted by its ability to effectively draw on the knowledge and learnings that inform today. We’re extremely excited to have access to a true pioneer in Dr. Shannon and look forward to his guidance as we build out our vision for graphene based bio-medical applications.”

About Grafoid.

Founded in 2011, Grafoid Inc. is a graphene research, development and investment company that invests in, manages and develops markets for processes that produce economically scalable graphene for use in graphene development applications by leading corporations and institutions. Grafoid’s leading investment produces application friendly, minimal-defect, high-energy density few layer graphene, utilizing a safe, non-destructive extraction process, leaving the lowest possible ecological footprint. The completely unique, proprietary process results in what Grafoid regards as a new global standard for economically scalable, high-purity graphene products — trademarked under the MesoGraf™ trade name — that can be tailored to both industrial and commercial applications.

Contact Information

Grafoid Inc.
Gary Economo
Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer

tel: 613-447-8521
email: geconomo@grafoid.com
www.grafoid.com

Liquinex and Grafoid Team Up to Provide Water Purification Solutions Using the Industry Leading MESOGRAF™Graphene Based Filtration Technology – GPURE


OTTAWA — Grafoid Inc. (“GRAFOID”) is pleased announce the strategic partnership with Liquinex, a company specializing in waste water engineering needs, to provide commercial scale water treatment solutions using Grafoid’s innovative MESOGRAF™ graphene based filtration technology.

The increasing demand for clean drinking water, rising scarcity of water resources, rapid industrialization, and increasing construction activities represent real-world factors that necessitate the need for scalable water treatment solutions around the globe.

Compounded by other factors, such as the increased support from government regarding treatment and proper disposal of water, the global market for water treatment solutions is expected to grow at an annual compounded growth rate of 7.4% from 2017 to 20271.

GPURE’s Graphene based filtration products are readily scalable to meet these commercial demands making them ideal for industrial level, niche applications such as the concentration of beverages, treatment of crude oil/water mixtures, biofuel and industrial wastewater treatments where reverse osmosis (RO) is not suitable due to the fouling tendencies when concentrated liquids are purged through RO cartridges.

Conventional filtering materials (e.g. activated carbon, zeolites, flocculants etc.,) have certain limitations of pH-sensitivity, poor efficiency and recoverability to treat a mixture of wide variety of contaminants present in the wastewater. In contrast, MESOGRAF™ graphene, being a 2D-material with high surface-area and functional-group tunability, exhibits outstanding adsorption and recyclability capabilities for a wide variety of contaminants.

Dr. Kiran Manga, Grafoid’s Engineering Manager states: “Our MESOGRAF™ surface engineered graphene derivatives have been successfully deployed to meet the specific requirements (eg. removal of organic dyes from textile and leather industries, phenols and heavy metal ions from ore-processing industry etc.) of our industrial clients. Our GPURE technologies are able to remove up to 99.8% phenol contaminants, 99% dye removal from real-time industrial wastewater samples at neutral pH and room temperature.”

Bashir Ahmad, CEO of Liquinex Group Pte Ltd. confirmed the significance of the strategic partnership with Grafoid as a critical component to a successful roll-out by commenting, “Effective water treatment solutions require strong partnerships and alignment between both public sector, such as IPI Singapore, and private organizations to implement broad based adoption of innovative technologies – such as Grafoid – will be critical.  We are empowered by this partnership with Grafoid and foresee tremendous potential.

Gary Economo, CEO of Grafoid acknowledged the potential global impact of the partnership with Liquinex, observing that  “We know that water is an integral part of many industrial processes and increasing demand for water for industrial uses will result from increasing economic activity. We believe that our GPURE technology can play a critical role in securing the future of water treatment around the globe.”

1 https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/05/1517364/0/en/Water-Treatment-Market-Poised-to-Register-7-4-CAGR-through-2027.html* Apr 26, 2018 (marketresearch.biz via COMTEX)

About Grafoid.

Founded in 2011, Grafoid Inc. is a graphene research, development and investment company that invests in, manages and develops markets for processes that produce economically scalable graphene for use in graphene development applications by leading corporations and institutions. Grafoid’s leading investment produces application friendly, minimal-defect, high-energy density few layer graphene, utilizing a safe, non-destructive extraction process, leaving the lowest possible ecological footprint. The completely unique, proprietary process results in what Grafoid regards as a new global standard for economically scalable, high-purity graphene products — trademarked under the MesoGraf™ trade name — that can be tailored to both industrial and commercial applications.

About Liquinex.

Located in Singapore, Liquinex is a global manufacturing, design and engineering company using next generation graphene based filters, ceramic membrane and proprietary membrane cleaning technology in the manufacturing of water treatment systems for industrial, municipal water purification and remediation applications. With registered patents for a specialized industrial Cooling Tower/Chilled Water Treatment System, Liquinex provides innovative environmental engineering, services and purification systems. With successful installations in place across Asia including Singapore, Malaysia, Laos and Indonesia – Liquinex continues to commercialize their cutting edge water treatment solutions systems for treating river, underground (well) and various sources of water including industrial waste water for the purpose of removing heavy metals for potable use, recycling or discharge, or meeting regulatory standards. Liquinex has developed a state of the art compact water purification system that weighs under 30Kg, is battery and/or Solar operated, is able to produce up to 500 litres per hour and can be transported as standard luggage check-in on any airline.

Contact Information

Grafoid Inc.

Gary Economo

Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer

613-447-8521

geconomo@grafoid.com

www.grafoid.com

Grafoid Announces the Appointment of Dr. Vassilis G. Keramidas as Technical Advisor and Intellectual Property Asset Manager


OTTAWA – Grafoid Inc., a global leader in industrial scale graphene application development, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vassilis G. Keramidas as Technical Advisor with responsibilities for managing its Intellectual Property Assets. His appointment is effective October 3, 2017.

Dr. Keramidas holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Solid State Science (Applied Physics).

A renowned scientist and consultant for some of the world’s leading corporations, Dr. Keramidas has extensive experience in guiding the development of new technologies, and the transferring of technologies from the research stage to production.

He is currently the Managing Director of Keramidas International Associates LLC., a firm he founded in 2003, which provides consulting services in: (a) strategic research planning and technology commercialization projects, and (b) the generation, management, commercialization and disposition of Intellectual Property. 

Dr. Keramidas began his career at Bell Laboratories in 1973, where, as a member of the technical staff and as Director, he made substantive materials and device contributions in projects related to the emergence and growth of fiber optics communications. Upon the breakup of the Bell System, in 1984, he joined Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), as a founding member. He served there as Director and Executive Director from 1984 to 1997, and as Vice President of Formative Technologies from 1997 to 2003, all in the applied research area.

For his contributions and technical leadership in his field, Dr. Keramidas has
been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

In 1995, following his impressive technical career, he focused his attention to the challenging field of commercialization of Intellectual Property assets. He founded a P&L entity within Bellcore and launched the Intellectual Property Commercialization program of IP assets. He started with IP assets invented in his own divisions and later expanded his efforts to a number of Bellcore and Telcordia invented technologies, bringing millions of dollars in revenue via worldwide licensing programs, patent sales, spin-offs, equity investments in start-ups and patent donations. The pioneering Bellcore Plastic Lithium-ion (PLiON) Battery Technology alone, invented in his Division, was licensed to 22 Corporations worldwide in Asia and Europe.

Among his many corporate affiliations, Dr. Keramidas has served as a director of Twenty First Century Battery Ltd., of India. He is also on the Board of Pleiades Battery Research Inc., with R&D facilities in China, and is Chairman of the Board of Valence Technologies Inc., a global leader in the development and manufacture of intrinsically safe, long-life lithium iron magnesium phosphate (LiFeMgPO4) advanced energy systems.

“The addition of Dr. Keramidas to our management team comes at a pivotal time for Grafoid as we move toward the commercialization of our next generation graphene energy, graphene coatings and graphene polymer applications,” said Gary Economo, Grafoid CEO and Founding Partner. 

“His skills, global experience, expertise and history dovetail with our expansionary business development and commercialization agenda,” Mr. Economo said. “We are very fortunate to have Dr. Keramidas advising our management team.”

About Grafoid Inc. 

Grafoid is a privately owned, global graphene application development and technology licensing company, focused on the commercialization of its novel Mesograf™, Grafenex and GPURE product innovations for next generation energy applications, composites, coatings and membranes for industrial applications.

The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A Canadian corporation, founded in 2011, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visit https://grafoid.com

Contact:

Mr. Gary Economo
Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner
+1 613-238-7417
geconomo@grafoid.com

Grafoid Appoints Plasma Physicist Dr. Florina Truica-Marasescu as Director of Technology For its Graphene Coatings Division – Grafcoat Inc


KINGSTON, Ontario — Grafoid Inc., a Canadian graphene R&D, investment and technology licensing company is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Florina Truica-Marasescu as Director of Technology of Grafcoat Inc. – the Company’s GrafeneX graphene industrial coatings division.

Grafcoat is a wholly owned subsidiary of Grafoid Inc. Dr. Truica-Marasescu is the inventor of the GrafeneX platform of novel technologies.

The patent pending GrafeneX enabling process provides Grafcoat with the capability to apply its diverse graphene-based coatings onto many different types of material substrates with controllable levels of surface coverage, thickness etc. to meet precise end user requirements.

Grafoid President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Economo described Dr. Truica-Marasescu’s scientific discoveries and accomplishments as “ground breaking in her development of environmentally sustainable, low cost processes to produce ultra-thin adherent graphene coatings.

“Our February, 2017 rollout of four GrafeneX coating products created significant global interest,” Mr. Economo said. “The maturation of GrafeneX research and development to product readiness enabled us to move the GrafeneX operations into the Grafcoat operating unit, and to seek Dr. Truica-Marasescu’s participation in next stage application development as our Director of Technology.”

Dr. Florina Truica-Marasescu 

With 17 years experience in academic research and R&D in the fields of surface sciences, surface and interface engineering, nanotechnologies, material and analytical sciences, and plasma-assisted processes. She is also a member of Quebec’s Order of Engineers.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Bucharest, Romania, Dr. Truica-Marasescu earned her M.Sc. in Material Surface Sciences at École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Industries de Strasbourg, France. And, upon her award of the prestigious “Bourse d’excellence” (Excellence Scholarship) by the Government of Quebec, she earned her Ph.D at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Dr. TruicaMarasescu is the author or co-author of more than 17 papers published in peer-reviewed journals; another 22 published papers in conference proceedings, and; is the recipient of several best contributions/presentations awards at various international conferences.

A Technical Reviewer for several international journals (Plasma Processes and Polymers, Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, and Thin Solid Films) she was until recently, a Freelance Technical Editor for Plasma Processes and Polymers journal (WILEY-VCH, Germany).

Prior to joining ALCERECO, Dr. TruicaMarasescu was an R&D Scientist and Project Leader at Novelis’ Global Technology Centre in Kingston, Ontario focused on R&D projects centred on developing new and radical, or improving existing products and manufacturing processes.

Her long-life passion is the development of environmentally friendly, cost-effective and easy-to-implement processing technologies for the surface and interface engineering of conventional materials using unconventional vapour-phase chemistry.

About Grafcoat Inc.

Incorporated in 2015, Grafcoat’s laboratories and offices operate from the Grafoid Global Technology Centre in Kingston, Ontario.

Grafcoat Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Grafoid Inc., developed the proprietary GrafeneX platform technologies resulting in the delivery of a range of powerful industrial graphene coating products.

Grafcoat has successfully coated aluminum, glass, silicon, polyimide, and copper substrates with its graphene coating products.

The GrafeneX process applies a graphene-based coating to large area substrate materials including polymers, glasses, most metals and refractories. GrafeneX is applied using a proprietary room temperature top-down process, designed as an inline continuous surface conversion process compatible with most conventional industrial coil-to-coil and roll-to-roll coating facilities.

To the greatest degree, the GrafeneX process uses commonly available conversion coating technologies, has a straightforward modular design with a compact footprint that is scalable to production speed. A GrafeneX line can either be retrofitted to existing finishing lines, or function as a stand-alone finishing system.

Coatings play a vital role in improving surface quality and providing protection forsubstrate materials. Valued in excess of $25 billion, the industrial coatings market represents the second largest sector of the more than $100 billion global coatings market. The coatings industry has been driven to seek new technologies and materials, such as graphene, to improve the efficiency and performance of coatings and address growing environmental concerns.

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is focused on four areas of graphene-related technology development for industrial adoption. They are, graphene based materials for energy creation, storage and transmission; graphene based polymers; graphene coatings, and; ultra-thin graphene membranes for all industrial sectors.

Grafoid is a Canadian graphene R&D, investment and technology licencing company. The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A privately held Canadian corporation, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Incorporated in 2011, Grafoid’s global enterprise platform includes 17 subsidiary companies engaged in the development of Mesograf™ materials and products; GrafeneX ultra-thin graphene industrial coatings; its GPURE graphene platform of industrial membrane products, and; the provision of commercialization development services. They include, but are not limited to: Mesograf™-enhanced lithium batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and industrial energy storage; polymers, plastics, rubber, elastomers, and composite materials; fiber science including aluminum alloys; lubricants; fire retardant materials; thermal management solutions; EMI/RFI/EMP shielding; solar solutions, and analytical testing, and; laboratory services.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visit https://grafoid.com

Contact:

Grafoid Inc.

Gary Economo

President and CEO

geconomo@grafoid.com

Grafoid Strengthens its Graphene Commercialization Capabilities – Announces the Appointment of Norm Major, a Former Director of Engineering at Cisco Systems Inc., as Chief Technology Officer


KINGSTON, Ontario — Grafoid Inc., a Canadian graphene R&D, investment and technology licensing company is pleased to announce the appointment of engineering executive Normand (Norm) Major as Chief Technology Officer of Grafoid and its related companies and subsidiaries. His appointment is effective April 17, 2017.

Mr. Major, a former Director of Engineering at San Jose, California-based Cisco Systems Inc., has a significant history in both product development and business development. He replaces Dr. Gordon Chiu as CTO who has resigned to pursue other interests as Grafoid has transitioned from the research to the commercialization stage. Dr. Chiu remains a Co-Founder and a Director of the Company.

As an accomplished senior engineering executive, Mr. Major has extensive experience and, a proven track record of successfully delivering complex products developed by multi-disciplinary (small-to-large 250+) technology development teams in the United States and Canada.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Electrical Engineering) from McMaster University and completed graduate courses in electrical engineering at Stanford University. He is also of member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest professional organization for the advancement of technology.

Grafoid President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Economo welcomed Mr. Major’s leadership participation in the Company’s broad commercialization efforts and its global marketing activities.

“Mr. Major’s diverse engineering management, proven team leadership and mentoring skills give impetus to Grafoid’s expansionary business goals as we continue to introduce new graphene products to the market.

“The leap to commercialization from R&D requires a mix of both product engineering and business development skills to succeed in the low carbon economy,” Mr. Economo said. “Mr. Major has a firm grasp of those next generational technology needs and we look forward to his future contributions.”

A self-described early stage technology investor, Mr. Major has served in an advisory capacity for a number of firms, most recently, the Security and Policy Institute at the University of Ottawa. He is also a former Chairman and a Director of MuAnalysis Inc., a Canadian provider of advanced high technology analytical services and now, a wholly owned subsidiary of Grafoid Inc.

Mr. Major’s executive management positions include:

VP Engineering, Teslonix Inc., a technology company with expert knowledge and a growing patent portfolio in the area of long-range energy transfer and 3D localization whose goal is to provide technologies that empower the Internet of Things (IoT) by building systems to better manage “things.”

CEO and Partner, Majorspeed Canada, Inc., providing senior executive management and technical leadership services to development teams.

Chief Technology Officer, Hotel Communication Network, management lead for software development team and defined next generation hardware.

Director Engineering at Cisco Systems Inc., holding a number of progressive management positions including: Director of Engineering Access for the Dial Platforms Business Unit; Senior Engineering Manager, and; Director of Engineering for the Core Business Unit.

Mr. Major was instrumental in Cisco’s product development successes, including: Cisco 1000 (access router), Cisco 7200 (mid-range router), Cisco 5800 (high density dial platform) and VoIP feature development on various Cisco platforms.

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is focused on four areas of graphene-related technology development for industrial adoption. They are, graphene based materials for energy creation, storage and transmission; graphene based polymers; graphene coatings, and; ultra-thin graphene membranes for all industrial sectors.

Grafoid is a Canadian graphene R&D, investment and technology licencing company. The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A privately held Canadian corporation, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Incorporated in 2011, Grafoid’s global enterprise platform includes 17 subsidiary companies engaged in the development of Mesograf™ materials and products; GrafeneX ultra-thin graphene industrial coatings; its GPURE graphene platform of industrial membrane products, and; the provision of commercialization development services. They include, but are not limited to: Mesograf™-enhanced lithium batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and industrial energy storage; polymers, plastics, rubber, elastomers, and composite materials; fiber science including aluminum alloys; lubricants; fire retardant materials; thermal management solutions; EMI/RFI/EMP shielding; solar solutions, and analytical testing, and; laboratory services.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visit https://grafoid.com

Contact:
Grafoid Inc.
Gary Economo
President and CEO
geconomo@grafoid.com

GRAFOID Introduces its Ion Selective GPURE Graphene Polymer Membrane for Lithium-Ion Battery Electrode Protection


A Novel Freestanding Nano-porous Membrane Technology to Extend Battery Life

March 14, 2017

KINGSTON, Ontario — Grafoid Inc., a Canadian graphene R&D, investment and technology licensing company announced today the development of its GPURE Graphene Polymer nano-porous membrane intended for next generation Li-Ion battery applications.

The GPURE graphene polymer membrane (GPM) technology is the seventh graphene-based companion to the company’s expanding GPURE Platform of new, high performing, ultra-thin materials for diverse industrial applications.

The GPURE GPM product was developed as a chemically inert, freestanding membrane using graphene composites to test ion selectivity using both monovalent and divalent ions. Ion selectivity is a key requirement for a semi permeable membrane in a Li-ion battery structure.

By protecting the chemically sensitive electrode materials from unwanted chemical species GPURE GPM diffuses only energy harvesting monovalent ions such as Li+, Na+ etc. Conventional membranes lack such unique property.

Figure 1 (a) shows the penetration processes of different ionic compounds through the GPURE GPM membrane, and (b) shows the GPURE GPM 6cm x 6cm membrane.

Grafoid President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Economo described Grafoid’s entry into the battery membrane market as a potentially important technological solution for improving battery life cycling.

“Our GPURE membrane innovations and inventions for next generation battery applications are intended to enhance performance, extend battery life and improve safety,” Mr. Economo said.

Goldman-Sachs Equity Research in its September 27, 2016 report, “Charging the Future” estimated the global automotive separator market was worth approximately 600 million US$ in 2015, totaling around 0.5 billion m2 on a surface-area basis and rising to $1.5 billion by 2020. This number is expected to grow to 7 billion m2 by 2025, in line with the growth of gigawatt hours in automotive batteries.

On February 16, 2017 Grafoid unveiled its initial family of GPURE Platform membrane technologies spanning a range of scalable industrial applications requiring novel, disruptive solutions to create new products or enhance or supplant existing membrane technologies.

GPURE membranes include:

GPURE (A) – A high performing, free-standing membrane developed for water desalination applications

GPURE (B) – A stable, large area membrane developed for wastewater filtration suitable for very high temperature operating applications

GPURE (C) – A large area free-standing membrane developed for water filtration pre-treatment and may be suitable for use in gas separation applications and may be used as a lightweight component for automotive and sports equipment applications 

GPURE (D) – A large area membrane that may be used for gas separation and sensing applications

GPURE (E) – A large area membrane intended for use in gas separation applications

GPURE (F)- May be applied as a graphene varnish for wood surfaces to protect against moisture, UV light and high temperatures 

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is focused on four areas of graphene-related technology development for industrial adoption. They are: graphene based materials for energy creation, storage and transmission; graphene based polymers, graphene coatings and graphene based membranes, for all industrial sectors.

Grafoid is a Canadian graphene R&D, investment and technology licensing company. The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A privately held Canadian corporation, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visit https://grafoid.com

Contact:

Grafoid Inc.

Gary Economo

President and CEO

geconomo@grafoid.com

Grafoid Introduces its GPURE Large Area Graphene-based Membrane Technologies for Utilities and Industrial Applications


GPURE Variants Target Markets for Waste Water Filtration and Large Area Nanofiltration Systems;

Gas Separation and Sensors, and; Varnishes for Wood Surfaces Among Other Potential Applications

February 16, 2017

KINGSTON, Ontario – Grafoid Inc., a graphene R&D and investment company announced today its development of the GPURE Membrane Platform consisting initially of six next generation GPURE Graphene-Polymer membrane technologies intended for industrial markets.

Grafoid’s GPURE technologies span a range of scalable industrial applications requiring novel, disruptive solutions to create new products or enhance or supplant existing membrane technologies.

One of the key obstacles to graphene’s broad, universal industrial acceptance is the absence to date of low-cost, high performing graphene applications that can be successfully adapted for use across all industrial sectors.

Market and Markets Research anticipates the global membranes market will grow significantly by 2020 with water & wastewater treatment, pharmaceuticals & medical segments accounting for approximately two-thirds of the global membranes market.

It reported that “the increasing use of membranes in the oil & gas sector for gas processing, hydrogen production, carbon dioxide removal from natural gas streams, and so on are also projected to drive the growth in the membranes market.”

GPURE Graphene-Polymer membranes include:

GPURE (A) – A high performing, free-standing membrane developed for water desalination applications 

GPURE (B) – A stable, large area membrane developed for wastewater filtration suitable for very high temperature operating applications

GPURE (C) – A large area free-standing membrane developed for water filtration pre-treatment and may be suitable for use in gas separation applications and may be used as a lightweight component for automotive and sports equipment applications

GPURE (D) – A large area membrane that may be used for gas separation and sensing applications

GPURE (E) – A large area membrane intended for use in gas separation applications

GPURE (F)- May be applied as a graphene varnish for wood surfaces to protect against moisture, UV light and high temperatures

Grafoid Chief Executive Officer Gary Economo said the company’s next generational technology developments could lead to new products that create both operating and economic efficiencies that are critical for sustainable growth.

Grafoid is engaged with over 25 companies in Asia, Europe and North America, who are currently testing our materials for use in one or more of their product applications. If their testing returns positive results, there is a potential to develop joint venture partnerships or licensing agreements.

More detailed information on the Company’s individual GPURE products and potential applications will be released in the coming weeks.

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is focused on three areas of graphene-related technology development it sees as “low-hanging fruit” for industrial adoption.

They are graphene based materials for energy creation, storage and transmission; graphene based polymers and; graphene coatings for all industrial sectors.

Grafoid is a graphene R&D and investment company. The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A privately held Canadian corporation, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Incorporated in 2011, Grafoid’s global enterprise platform includes 17 subsidiary companies engaged in the development of Mesograf™ materials and products, and GrafeneX ultra-thin graphene industrial coatings and commercialization development services. They include, but are not limited to: Mesograf™-enhanced lithium batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and industrial energy storage; polymers, plastics, rubber, elastomers, and composite materials; fiber science including aluminum alloys; lubricants; fire retardant materials; thermal management solutions; EMI/RFI/EMP shielding; solar solutions, and analytical testing, and; laboratory services.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visit https://grafoid.com

Contact:

Grafoid Inc.

Gary Economo

President and CEO

geconomo@grafoid.com

Grafoid Introduces GrafeneX – a Cost-Effective Graphene Adherent, Tunable and Multi-Functional Coating Technology for Large Surface Industrial Applications


A Novel Platform for Industrial Scale Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Ultra-Thin Graphene Coatings for Metal, Glass, Polymer, Ceramic and Other Substrate Applications

KINGSTON, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Jan. 31, 2017) – Grafoid Inc., a world leading graphene R&D and investment company announced today its entry into the global industrial coatings market with the introduction of its patent pending GrafeneX graphene coatings technology.

GrafeneX is a novel technology that creates a platform for the deposition of Graphene and chemically functionalized Graphene coatings.

This enabling process provides Grafoid with the capability to apply its diverse graphene-based coatings to many different types of material substrates with controllable levels of surface coverage, thickness etc. to meet precise end user requirements.

One of the key obstacles to graphene’s broad, universal industrial acceptance is the absence to date of low-cost, high performing graphene applications that can be successfully adapted for use across all industrial sectors. BCC Market Research reports the global market for paints and coatings is anticipated to rise to $164.1 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate of 4.4% from 2016-2021.

Other market research indicates even higher revenue values.

Grafoid President and CEO Gary Economo described the GrafeneX technologies as a cost-effective way of laying down graphene coatings on large surface areas.

“Demand exists for advanced multifunctional technologies capable of successfully disrupting existing business models,” Mr. Economo said. “We believe our novel, low-cost, coating technologies will encourage interest from those industries developing next generation materials and products.”

About GrafeneX

The GrafeneX process applies Graphene based coatings to substrate materials including polymers, glasses, most metals and refractories (See Figure 1).

To view Figure 1, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/4476f1.pdf

GrafeneX is applied using a proprietary, room temperature, top-down process, designed as an inline continuous surface conversion process compatible with most conventional industrial coil-to-coil and roll-to-roll coating facilities.

In its typical embodiment, the process sequence would include: surface preparation (cleaning & activation), graphene oxide application, removal of a benign carrier and conversion to a Graphene based surface coating.

To the greatest degree, the GrapheneX process uses commonly available conversion coating technologies, has a straightforward modular design with a compact footprint that is scalable with production speed. A GrafeneX line can either be retrofitted to existing finishing lines, or function as a stand-alone finishing system.

Mr. Economo said that the GrafeneX line of technologies and services are consistent with Grafoid’s business model for long-term growth and revenue sustainability through joint venturing, licensing and fees for services.

“As of today, with near zero competition, our GrafeneX technologies position our Company us as a front-runner for large area graphene coatings development,” Mr. Economo said.

GrafeneX enabling characteristics and properties include:

  •  The ability to coat large surfaces on metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers and glass and the ability to coat fibers, rods and bars
  •  Designed for coil-to-coil and conveyor applications from batch to continuous process
  •  Environmentally safe to benign, flexible technology in terms of coatings uses for: hydrophobic, hydrophilic, super hydrophobic, oleophobic and oleophilic applications
  •  Variable coating thickness (from monolayer to few layer)
  •  Many of the physical/chemical properties are tunable (Figure 2)
  •  Good adhesion to substrates (as tested using the ASTM E-335 on aluminum foil) (Figure 3)

GrafeneX coating technology may be used in various industrial, consumer, military, marine, avionics, energy storage, packaging, building materials, electronics, transportation, environmental remediation, intelligent fabrics, sporting goods and medical industries.

Four versions of GrafeneX coatings labeled A to D are available, namely:

GrafeneX (A) which serves many sectors as a precursor coating with hydrophilic properties.

GrafeneX (B) are electrically conductive, hydrophobic coatings, or with tunable electric conduction and may be used for :

  •  Li-ion battery electrode materials, or other energy storage devices
  •  Supercapacitors
  •  EMI shielding applications
  •  Transparent and flexible electronics
  •  Nanoelectronics
  •  Nanogenerators
  •  Solar cells
  •  Fuel cells and hydrogen storage
  •  Photodetectors
  •  Organic LEDs (OLEDs) and displays
  •  Corrosion protection

GrafeneX (C) are super-hydrophobic coatings which may be used as:

  •  Water-repellant and anti-fouling coatings
  •  Self-cleaning surfaces
  •  Anti-icing and anti-fogging coatings for: 
    • o Windows
    • o Eyeglasses
  •  Corrosion protective coatings for a variety of industries, including: 
    • o Automotive
    • o Marine

GrafeneX (D) coatings have hydrophilic properties and may be used as:

  •  Paint primers and pre-treatments
  •  Adhesion-promoting coatings for joining two dissimilar materials, such as attaching polymers to metals (example: automotive industry)

More intensive applications can potentially include:

  •  Surface modification of implants or scaffold materials in tissue engineering
  •  Drug delivery & cancer therapy
  •  Bio-sensors, electrochemical biosensors
  •  Other types of sensors, such as: Contact sensors, nanoelectromechanical sensors, chemical sensors, non-contact sensors, etc.

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is focused on three areas of graphene-related technology development seen as “low-hanging fruit” for industrial adoption.

They are graphene based materials for energy creation, storage and transmission; graphene based polymers and; graphene coatings for all industrial sectors.

Grafoid is a world leading graphene R&D and investment company. The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A privately held Canadian corporation, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Incorporated in 2011, Grafoid’s global enterprise platform includes 17 subsidiary companies engaged in the development of Mesograf™ materials and products, and GrafeneX ultra-thin graphene industrial coatings and commercialization development services. They include, but are not limited to: Mesograf™ lithium batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and industrial energy storage; polymers, plastics, rubber, elastomers, and composite materials; fiber science including aluminum alloys; lubricants; fire retardant materials; thermal management solutions; EMI/RFI/EMP shielding; solar solutions, and analytical testing; and laboratory services.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visit https://grafoid.com.

To view Figure 2, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/4476f2.pdf

To view Figure 3, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/4476f3.pdf

CONTACT INFORMATION

Grafoid Inc. Formalizes its Green Energy Business Alliance with Focus Graphite, Stria Lithium and Braille Battery


Grafoid Inc. Formalizes its Green Energy Business Alliance with Focus Graphite, Stria Lithium and Braille Battery

The “2GL Platform” Integrates Graphene, Graphite, Lithium and Battery Innovation

May 18, 2016

OTTAWA – Grafoid Inc., a privately held developer of industrial scale graphene applications is pleased to announce the formalization of a strategic green energy business alliance branded as the 2GL Platform.

The collaborative agreement, executed in late March, 2016 unifies for the first time, the development of materials, technologies and processes critical for next generation energy applications under a shared vision and direction.

Grafoid Inc. is a world-leading graphene research, development and investment company that invests in, manages and develops markets for processes that produce economically scalable graphene for use in graphene applications. (www.grafoid.com)

Focus Graphite Inc. is an emerging graphite mining development company with the objective of producing value-added products for the lithium-ion battery market and graphite for graphene enhanced applications and products. (www.focusgraphite.com)

Stria Lithium Inc. is a junior mining exploration company with an expanding technology focus in lithium metal and foil. (www.strialithium.com)

Braille Battery Inc. is a leading manufacturer and seller of ultra-lightweight high performance AGM and lithium-ion batteries. (www.braillebattery.com)

2GL Platform’s website can be found at: www.2GLPlatform.com

“2GL Platform is an alliance for future growth. It benefits from the integration of battery innovation from four leading critical materials development companies,” said Grafoid Founding Partner and CEO Gary Economo.

The alliance incorporates a mine-to-market next generation energy production and storage supply chain whereby:

High performing graphene will be supplied by Grafoid; battery grade graphite will be supplied by Focus Graphite; lithium metal and lithium foil will be supplied by Stria Lithium; while battery production and sales will be through Braille Battery.

“The establishment of 2GL is the affirmation of our vision that integrating innovation from a strategic alliance provides us with a competitive advantage from a joint marketing platform,” said Mr. Economo. “The potential from next generation green energy markets is enormous.

“By pushing the boundaries of battery technologies, we aim to supply both materials and the know-how that create better energy storage applications at a cost acceptable for widespread adoption,” Mr. Economo said.

R&D will be coordinated through Grafoid’s Global Technology Center in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Background

Highly purified and manufactured graphite, lithium and thermal management are the main components of rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries for automotive, energy storage and portable electronic devices. Graphene, derived from high purity graphite surpasses graphite’s physical abilities to conduct electricity used in battery anodes and cathodes by multiple factors.

Next generation Li-ion batteries now under development aim to meet two related global objectives: manufacturers’ requirements for higher performing battery components at lower costs for the electrification of transportation sectors and energy storage industries, and; a universal political imperative for the reduction of carbon emissions to stem global warming.

Grafoid’s emergence in 2011 evolved from management’s business vision to capture, exploit and lead the development of graphene’s enormous future potential in diverse industrial sectors – chief among them, next generation energy production and storage, lightweight durable automotive components and, coatings for the aerospace, marine and non-transportation sectors.

The source of Grafoid’s high performing Mesograf™, Amphioxide™ and GrafeneX graphene materials and products is Focus Graphite’s Lac Knife flake graphite project. In September, 2015, Grafoid and Focus Graphite executed two 10-year graphite offtake (sales and purchase) agreements – the first to meet Grafoid’s green energy development requirements, the second committing Focus to supply Grafoid with nearly half of it’s projected future production of 43,000 tonnes per year over the life of the contract. Security of a long-term source of supply was critical to Grafoid’s future growth.

Between 2014 and early 2016, Focus published four test results on the performance of its manufactured (spherical coated and uncoated) battery grade graphite for battery anode and expanded coarse flake graphite for battery cathode applications (please refer to Focus news releases dated May 27, 2014; February 26, 2015; November 25, 2015 and April 1, 2016 available at www.focusgraphite.com and www.sedar.com under Focus Graphite Inc.). In all three tests, the results supported the electrically conductive superiority of Lac Knife’s graphite over commercially available sources of synthetic and natural flake graphite.

The emergence of Stria Lithium’s low-cost, proprietary and environmentally sustainable lithium production technologies in 2014 created an additional energy related opportunity for all three companies. And, Stria’s recent expansionary goals for the production of lithium metals and lithium foil for use in Li-Ion batteries added revenue generating potential even as the company continues exploration and development of its Pontax spodumene lithium project in Northern Quebec.

Grafoid’s 2014 acquisition of Braille Battery provided it with three key capabilities: R&D and manufacturing of cutting edge Li-ion battery products, a global sales and distribution network, and; an established revenue stream.

Currently, the design and construction of Grafoid’s automated graphene mass production facility is underway. It is supported in part by an $8.1 million development grant from the Government of Canada.

The invention of Grafoid’s business approach to next generation green energy markets coalesced in March 2016 with the formalization of the 2GL Platform – a collaborative entity that integrates innovation, provides competitive advantages from supply chain efficiencies, and creates new opportunities by exploiting both economic and environmental possibilities.

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is a complete solutions graphene company. The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A privately held Canadian corporation, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Incorporated in 2011, Grafoid’s global enterprise platform includes 17 subsidiary companies engaged in the development of Mesograf™ materials and products, and development services. They include, but are not limited to: Mesograf™ lithium batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and industrial energy storage; additive manufacturing materials including metal alloy and graphene polymer powders for 3D printing; polymers, plastics, rubber, elastomers, and composite materials; fibre science including aluminum alloys; coatings and lubricants; fire retardant materials; thermal management solutions; EMI/RFI/EMP shielding; solar solutions, and analytical testing; and laboratory services.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

About Focus Graphite

Focus Graphite Inc. is an advanced exploration and development mining company with an objective of producing graphite concentrate at its Lac Knife deposit located south west of Fermont, Québec. In a second stage, to meet Quebec stakeholder interests of transformation within the province and to add shareholder value, Focus is evaluating the feasibility of producing value added graphite products including battery-grade spherical graphite.

The Lac Knife project hosts a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource Estimate* of 9.58 million tonnes grading 14.77% graphitic carbon (Cg) (432,000 tonnes Measured @ 23.66% Cg and 9,144,000 tonnes Indicated @ 14.35% Cg) as natural flake graphite with an additional Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate* of 3.1 million tonnes grading 13.25% Cg. Focus’ goal is to assume an industry leadership position by becoming a low-cost producer of technology-grade graphite concentrate.

The Feasibility Study filed with SEDAR on August 8, 2014 for the Lac Knife Project indicates the project is economically viable and has the potential to become a low cost graphite concentrate producer based on 7.86 million tonnes of Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves** grading 15.13% Cg included in the Mineral Resource (429,000 tonnes Proven @ 23.61% Cg and 7,428,000 tonnes Probable @ 14.64% Cg).

On May 27, 2014 and on February 26, 2015 the Company announced the potential for high value added sales in the Li-ion battery sector following battery coin cell tests performed on Spherical Graphite (“SPG“) produced from the Lac Knife graphite concentrate. Testing measured the performance metrics and confirmed Focus’ capability to tailor lithium ion battery-anode-grade graphite and value added products to meet the most stringent customer specifications.

On March 31, 2016, the Company announced the potential for high value added sales in the Li-Ion battery sector from independent tests of its expanded natural flake graphite from its Lac Knife, Québec Project. Those tests revealed that expanded graphite derived from course flakes demonstrated nearly double the electrical conductivity over standard grades of synthetic and natural graphite used in Li-Ion battery cathode applications.

Focus Graphite is a technology-oriented graphite mining development company with a vision for building long-term, sustainable shareholder value. Focus also holds a significant equity position in graphene applications developer Grafoid Inc.

* Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability

** The Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are inclusive of those Mineral Resources modified to produce the Mineral Reserve. The reference point for the Mineral Reserve Estimate is the mill feed.

Qualified Person

Mr. Marc-André Bernier, M.Sc, P.Geo (Québec and Ontario), a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release relating to the Lac Knife project mineral resource estimates and feasibility study report.

About Stria Lithium Inc.

Stria Lithium Inc.  (TSX-V: SRA) is a Canadian junior mining exploration company with an expanding technology focus and is also the sole owner of the Pontax spodumene lithium property in Northern Quebec. Stria’s mission is to be a reliable, profitable global source for both lithium metal and lithium compound products and process technologies for producing value added lithium products.

Stria’s expanded business focus is on the application of in-house developed technologies and processes that lead to the production and milling of lithium metal and lithium metal foil for advanced lithium batteries.

From the production of lithium metal also comes the value added production of: lithium hydroxide; lithium carbonate; lithium fluoride, and; lithium chloride.

Lithium is a critical metal in the universal fight against global warming. It is a core component of Lithium-Ion batteries used for powering electric vehicles and for industrial scale energy storage.

About Braille Battery Inc.

Braille Battery is the world leader in ultra lightweight Lithium-Ion high performance batteries. Braille also distributes and sells the world’s first and only AGM carbon fiber race batteries. The entire selection is also part of their “Green Start” line of Eco-minded batteries.

The company name, Braille, reflects the concept that advantages of weight reduction in racing are sometimes only felt, not seen.  Braille Battery is currently the lithium battery of choice used exclusively in every car in: Indycar, DTM, SuperGT and Australian V8 Supercars, along with a large majority of the prototypes and GT cars in the IMSA TUDOR sports car series.

Braille also supplies to top teams in NASCAR, Formula 1, Open Wheel, Drag Racing, Rally, SCCA, NASA, Drifting, Motorcycle and all levels of competition on both two and four wheels.

Braille products are available through a variety of online distributors in the U.S., Canada and overseas, and at local specialty retail outlets.

Braille Battery is a subsidiary of Grafoid Inc. a complete graphene solutions company advancing the commercialization of MesoGraf™ graphene battery applications and products for the automotive, medical, military, and marine sectors.

Contact:

Grafoid Inc.

Gary Economo

Founding Partner and CEO

Geconomo@grafoid.com

613-241-4040

Grafoid Extends Its Graphene Market Reach; Signs MOU with Xiamen Tungsten to Develop Graphene Based Applications in China


Grafoid Extends Its Graphene Market Reach; Signs MOU with Xiamen Tungsten to Develop Graphene Based Applications in China

Benefits for Grafoid Affiliated Companies

March 23, 2016

OTTAWA – Grafoid Inc., a privately held developer of industrial scale graphene applications is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Xiamen Tungsten CO. Ltd., of Xiamen, China, for the establishment of a strategic joint venture partnership.

The MOU establishes terms for Xiamen’s acquisition of up to a 20% equity position in Grafoid through the purchase of common shares – including Grafoid common shares currently held by Grafoid’s affiliate, Focus Graphite Inc. (TSX-V; FMS; OTCQX: FCSMF; FSE: FKC), an advanced Canadian graphite mining exploration and development company.

More, the agreement in principle sets out parameters for actions that meet both parties’ immediate and long-term business objectives through a joint venture arrangement. They include:

·     Xiamen’s desire to build a clean energy technology platform and introduce those technologies to the China market

·     Grafoid’s goals for developing industrial applications to open the China market for the commercialization of its suite of Mesograf™ and Amphioxide ™ graphene based products

·     The fulfillment of Focus Graphite’s desire to move forward with the development of the company’s Lac Knife, Quebec graphite project, and supply global markets with high purity, value-added, cost-competitive products while supporting the next generation battery development platform of Grafoid, Focus Graphite, Stria Lithium Inc., and Braille Battery

·     The establishment of Xiamen’s business office at the Grafoid Global Technology Center in Kingston, Ontario to provide Xiamen with a North American base for future business expansion, and; the establishment of a Grafoid business office in China

A publicly traded company listed on the Shanghai Exchange, Xiamen Tungsten is China’s leader in smelting, processing and export of tungsten and other non-ferrous metal products; the operation of rare earth business interests, and; the supply of battery materials.

The Joint Venture

The parties are agreed to establish their joint venture in China for the production of Grafoid’s marketed suite of Mesograf™ and Amphioxide™ based products to be used in the development of commercial graphene applications for the China market, specifically, for the production of lightweight, high strength polymers; GrafeneX™ coatings for glass, aluminum and other materials; solar energy creation, low-loss wiring cable, lithium based batteries, ultra capacitors, fuel cells for the energy storage market, and; catalyst materials.

Application Development

The parties are further agreed to jointly develop graphene applications for the China market. They include, but are not limited to:

·     Next generation lithium-ion batteries (for EVs and energy storage)

·     Graphene coatings (solar panels and glass, silicone, mylar, copper, aluminum and other materials)

·     Graphene enhanced polymers (for the automotive and aerospace sectors)

·     Water treatment (purification and desalination)

·     Intelligent fibers

·     Tungsten/graphene alloy

Management of the joint venture will be guided by a Strategy Committee meeting alternately in Canada and China on a quarterly basis and, a China-based Operations Committee co-chaired by a Grafoid senior manager and a Xiamen senior manager.

Mr. York said the achievement of the MOU marked the beginning of a turning point in Grafoid’s global technology enterprise platform expansion.

 “This future alliance bodes well for Grafoid and Xiamen, our affiliates and our shareholders,” said Mr. York. We feel very fortunate indeed to have taken our first expansionary step into China with a formidable and well-established technology materials producer.

Mr. Economo said the Company’s expansion into the world’s largest consumer market underscores management’s global technology ambitions.

 “This agreement represents our long-held corporate vision of developing a global platform of critical materials for the green economy including next generation energy applications, graphene coatings and polymers,” Mr. Economo said.

There are three key components to the agreement, namely: Xiamen’s equity investment in Grafoid; the JV plan and CAPEX for the Mesograf™ and Amphioxide™ production facilities, and; the plan and CAPEX for graphene applications development. Xiamen will provide funding for both the JV and applications development and Grafoid will provide the technology and technical expertise.

The funding method is to be determined through negotiations for both the JV and application development components. Those applications could be spun out as JVs and eventual IPOs.

Investment details of the multimillion dollar agreement will be determined by a due diligence process to be concluded by May 22, 2016.

About Xiamen Tungsten

Xiamen Tungsten Co., Ltd. is China’s largest producer and exporter of tungsten products. Its investment in technology upgrades and metallurgical innovation have narrowed the East-West gap in product quality compared to foreign enterprises and, the company is currently expanding its investments in clean energy technologies to move in lockstep with China’s march toward a low carbon economy. It has annual revenues in excess of 10.143B CNY ($1.55B US).

During the last decade, with a view to upgrading its competitive position in global markets, Xiamen, through acquisition and investment has expanded its business from a tungsten company to a technology oriented conglomerate in control of its complete manufacturing chains.

Xiamen Tungsten is listed on the Shanghai Exchange under the numerical

symbol: 600549.

For more information about Xiamen Tungsten, please visithttp://www.cxtc.com/

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is a complete solutions graphene company. The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A privately held Canadian corporation, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Incorporated in 2011, Grafoid’s global enterprise platform includes 17 subsidiary companies engaged in the development of Mesograf™ materials and products, and development services. They include, but are not limited to: Mesograf™ lithium batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and industrial energy storage; additive manufacturing materials including metal alloy and graphene polymer powders for 3D printing; polymers, plastics, rubber, elastomers, and composite materials; fibre science including aluminum alloys; coatings and lubricants; fire retardant materials; thermal management solutions; EMI/RFI/EMP shielding; solar solutions, and analytical testing; and laboratory services.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visithttps://grafoid.com

Contact Information:

Grafoid Inc.:

Mr. Jeffrey York

Chairman and Founding Partner

jyork@grafoid.com

Suite 912, 130 Albert Street

Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4, Canada

+1 613-238-7417

Or

Mr. Gary Economo

Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner CEO

geconomo@grafoid.com

Grafoid Global Technology Centre (GGTC),

945 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada

+1 613-238-7417