Volt Carbon Advances Graphite-to-Graphene and Expandable Graphite Manufacturing Platform
Volt Carbon Technologies Inc. (VCT) has announced the development of a flexible downstream manufacturing process at its Guelph, Ontario facility, capable of producing both graphene oxide and expandable graphite from graphite concentrate using the same equipment. The company has successfully advanced its graphene manufacturing process, reducing the layer count from approximately five layers to approximately three layers, with mechanical testing showing a 40-60% improvement in epoxy properties. Additional production equipment has arrived at the Guelph facility to support batch-scale production for customer trials, process optimization, and characterization.
The downstream process operates after dry separation of crushed graphite ore into concentrate. It is designed to be flexible, allowing the same equipment to be configured to produce either graphene oxide or expandable graphite, eliminating the need for two separate processing lines. Recent XRD characterization at University of Waterloo laboratories indicates the production of approximately three graphene layers, an improvement from the previously announced five-layer rGO. Previous mechanical testing of epoxy test coupons with rGO demonstrated a 40% to 60% improvement in mechanical properties compared to virgin epoxy. Graphene oxide is a functionalized material that can be processed into reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and used as an additive in advanced composites. Current batch-scale production supports customer trials at low loading levels, where 0.5% loading represents approximately 5 kg per tonne of finished composite.
Regarding expandable graphite, independent testing by ProGraphite GmbH (reported by Green Battery Minerals Inc. on July 31, 2024) on graphite processed using Volt's dry separation technology showed an expansion rate of 325 mL/g and approximately 98.5% carbon after expansion. ProGraphite described the expansion as an "excellent result" for +80 mesh material, noting it is very suitable as precursor material for expandable graphite production. Expandable graphite applications include passive fire protection and thermal management, and can be processed into expanded graphite and graphite foil.
Additional equipment ordered on May 6, 2026, has arrived at the Guelph facility and is being incorporated into downstream processing capabilities. Volt intends to continue producing batches of graphene oxide and expandable graphite for process optimization, characterization, and customer evaluation. The company aims to build a secure North American supply chain for advanced carbon materials, targeting markets that have historically relied on foreign supply.
"The concept is simple: start with natural graphite and create multiple higher-value products. One flexible processing platform can produce either graphene oxide or expandable graphite, and we have now produced multiple batches of both. We have also advanced our graphene from approximately five layers to approximately three layers based on recent XRD characterization at University of Waterloo laboratories. We are continuing to push toward the limits of what can be achieved with natural graphite while developing practical processes that can be scaled and used by customers. There is still a lot of work ahead, but our capabilities continue to improve every day," said V-Bond Lee, CEO.