Polymer Composites using Graphene Oxide Developed from Zenyatta's Albany Graphite Deposit

Zenyatta Ventures Ltd.(“Zenyatta”)是一家总部位于安大略省桑德湾市的矿产开发公司。2011年，Zenyatta在安大略省东北部发现了已知的最大的火成岩赋存、流体来源的石墨矿床，称为奥尔巴尼石墨矿床。Zenyatta希望探索和优先考虑的应用之一是将Albany石墨用作包括聚合物在内的复合材料的增强添加剂。这些复合材料对寻求高弹性(刚性)和高强度的轻质材料的行业(如交通行业)非常有吸引力。在这个拟议的项目中，将使用从奥尔巴尼石墨中提取的石墨烯氧化物来制造聚合物复合材料，并对其机械和热性能进行表征。Zenyatta发现的Albany石墨矿床估计含有约100万吨石墨碳的总指示资源量。拟议的项目将通过扩大产品供应，帮助Zenyatta扩大其作为复合材料生产材料供应商的业务。此外，加拿大塑料和复合材料制造业将能够采用这种复合材料技术来生产更轻、更坚固、更耐热的产品，从而为加拿大经济和社会的增长做出贡献。

Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. ("Zenyatta") is a mineral development company based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In2011, Zenyatta discovered the largest known igneous-hosted, fluid-derived graphite deposit in northeasternOntario, called the Albany Graphite Deposit. One of the applications that Zenyatta wants to explore andprioritize is to use Albany graphite as a reinforcement additive for composite materials including polymers.These composite materials could be very attractive to industries that are seeking lightweight materials withhigh modulus (stiffness) and strength (e.g., transportation industry). In this proposed project, polymercomposites will be manufactured using graphene oxide derived from Albany graphite, and their mechanical andthermal properties will be characterized. The Albany Graphite Deposit discovered by Zenyatta is estimated tocontain a total indicated resource of approximately 1 million tonnes of graphitic carbon. The proposed projectwill help Zenyatta expand its business as a material supplier for composite productions by expanding itsproduct offerings. Furthermore, Canadian plastic and composite manufacturing sectors will be able toincorporate this composite technology to produce lighter, stronger, more thermally stable products, thuscontributing to the growth of Canadian economy and society.