Westwater's ULTRA-CSPG, an anode material used in lithium ion batteries manufactured in the US, was created using laboratory-scale equipment that simulates full-scale production.

The initial processing runs comprised of purification, milling and spheroidisation, which produced spherical purified graphite samples with an average particle size of 13.5 micrometers, said the company.

These samples were then sent to Polaris, an independent laboratory in the US, for testing. Samples were then surface coated and assembled into half-cell coin cells.

"The positive test results on spherical purified graphite, which follow the positive independent test results on our first lab-produced graphite, ULTRA-PMG, demonstrates that we are progressing with the commercialisation of these American-made battery-grade graphite materials," said Christopher M. Jones, president and chief executive officer.

Westwater is working with Dorfner AnzaPlan in Germany and Polaris Laboratories in the United to commercialise processing.