THUNDER BAY, Ontario, Oct. 3, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. ("Zenyatta" or "Company") (TSX-V: ZEN ) is pleased to announce results from initial testing to identify the performance characteristics of Zenyatta's high purity Albany graphite.
Electrical resistivity ('ER') tests were conducted by a major U.S. based independent materials testing facility. One of the most useful characteristics of graphite is its ability to carry electric current. ER quantifies how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current. A low resistivity indicates a material that readily allows the movement of an electric charge.
Published physics data on electrical resistivity of graphite typically ranges from .003 to .060 ohm-centimetres. Zenyatta's graphite showed a resistivity of .0034 ohm-centimetres for a compressed bulk graphite test bar measuring 50x12x2.4mm. These results are comparable with high grade synthetic graphite and represent a value at the top of the range. The resistivity test was conducted on a random sample of Zenyatta's high purity Albany graphite without any attempt to select particle size or to align the graphite crystals to optimize the test results. These initial test results are very encouraging and indicate that Zenyatta's high purity graphite should be competitive with the best graphite available for a variety of applications including electronic components and batteries.
Don Hains, P. Geo. industrial minerals technical advisor to Zenyatta stated, "These results are very promising, especially considering that tests were run on as-produced sample material from the initial bench-scale test work. The optimization work now underway should yield even better results in terms of graphite properties."
Resistivity is significantly influenced by the degree of crystallinity of the graphite, particle orientation and temperature. Higher crystallinity results in lower resistivity and therefore higher conductivity. Resistivity also varies considerably when measured axial or perpendicular to the c-axis of the graphite crystal. The resistivity of conductors, like graphite, depends strongly on a lack of impurities in the material, an important fact which makes them valuable in electronics. Previous mineralogical studies show that Zenyatta's Albany graphite material to be of high quality and containing minor amounts of impurities (feldspar and quartz) which can be easily removed to produce an ultra-high purity graphite product.
Aubrey Eveleigh, President and CEO stated, "The Company is extremely pleased with these preliminary electrical resistivity results. The data indicate that Zenyatta's high purity Albany graphite could be suitable for a wide range of applications. This is another very important step and further evidence of the high quality nature of the unique hydrothermal graphite discovery. Further results on Zenyatta's graphite crystallinity with associated scanning electron microscope photographs are nearing completion and will be released next week from the work being carried out at a Canadian university."
Zenyatta will continue to test the characteristics of the Albany graphite at various laboratory facilities in the U.S., Europe and Canada where the required instrumentation is available. Additional test results will be reported when received.
Zenyatta continues to explore its 100% owned Albany (Hydrothermal) Graphite Deposit located in northern Ontario, Canada, and anticipates releasing additional drill results in the near-term. A NI 43-101 resource estimate by RPA is scheduled for mid 4Q/13, and the Company remains well funded. A Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) is expected to be concluded in 1Q/14. In preparation for a PEA, Roskill Information Services Ltd. has been retained to undertake a detailed world graphite marketing study and SGS Canada Inc. are to provide an optimized flow sheet after processing a 5 tonne mini-bulk sample.
Zenyatta's Albany graphite deposit is located 30km north of the Trans Canada Highway, power line and natural gas pipeline near the communities of Constance Lake First Nation and Hearst in northern Ontario, Canada. A rail line is located 70km away and an all-weather road approximately 4-5km from the graphite deposit. The deposit is near surface, underneath glacial till overburden and a thin veneer of Paleozoic sedimentary cover rocks.
The outlook for the global graphite market is very promising with demand growing rapidly from new applications. It is now considered one of the more strategic elements by many leading industrial nations, particularly for its growing importance in high technology manufacturing and in the emerging "green" industries such as electric vehicle components. The application for graphitic material is constantly evolving due to its unique chemical, electrical and thermal properties. It maintains its stability and strength under temperatures in excess of 3,500°C and is very resistant to chemical corrosion. It is also one of the lightest of all reinforcing elements and has high natural lubricating abilities. Some of these key physical and chemical properties make it critical to modern industry. The world trend is to develop products for technological applications that need extraordinary performance using ultra-high purity graphite powders.
Mr. Aubrey Eveleigh, President & CEO of Zenyatta Ventures Ltd., and Mr. Don Hains, P.Geo, Zenyatta's technical advisor are the "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and have reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. This initial electrical resistivity test was measured on Zenyatta's compacted graphite test bar (50x12x2.4 mm, compacting pressure: 2.5t/cm). To find out more on Zenyatta Ventures Ltd., please visit website www.zenyatta.ca or contact the Company at info@zenyatta.ca or Tel. 807-346-1660.
Neither 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. This news release may contain forward looking information and Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. cautions viewers that forward looking information is based on certain assumptions and risk factors exist that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations of Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. included in this news release. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements", which often, but not always, can be identified by the use of words such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan" . These statements are based on information currently available to Zenyatta and Zenyatta provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements with respect to Zenyatta's future plans, objectives or goals, to the effect that Zenyatta or management expects a stated condition or result to occur, including this News Release. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Zenyatta's mineral properties, and Zenyatta's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Zenyatta's activities; and other matters discussed in this News Release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Zenyatta's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on Zenyatta's forward-looking statements. Zenyatta does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by Zenyatta or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. www.zenyatta.ca Tel. 807-346-1660
