ZTEK News & Events

Zentek's wholly-owned subsidiary, Albany Graphite received final results indicating that its ultra-high purity Albany graphite meets the threshold for applications in a range of high-return markets, including: nuclear energy; defense and national security infrastructure; advanced aerospace and hypersonics; and premium lithium-ion batteries. This follows on previous press releases which confirmed that Albany graphite achieved five-nines purity with an equivalent boron concentration of 2.60 ppm, meeting the less-than-3-ppm threshold generally referenced for nuclear applications. The latest independent testing of Albany graphite bricks represents the culmination of the current stage of AGC's nuclear suitability program and further validate Albany's broader ultra-high-purity performance. In practical terms, these results re-affirm that the unique Albany graphite material can perform to the same demanding standards as the specialized graphite blocks used in advanced nuclear reactors and other critical systems, a capability historically possessed by synthetic graphite supplied almost entirely from foreign states. Independent market research estimates that the global ultra-high-purity graphite market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 10.5% through 2030, driven by lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, advanced nuclear reactors and high-temperature aerospace components. Independent market and policy work further indicates that purified natural graphite is the fastest-growing part of the natural graphite segment, as advances in purification and processing now routinely bring impurities down into the tens of mg/kg range and enable natural graphite to compete in applications that historically depended on synthetic graphite, while policymakers increasingly favour lower-carbon, non-foreign supply in response to ESG and critical-minerals initiatives in North America and Europe. Management of the Company believes that the unique Albany material has the potential to target high-value specialized niches where purified natural material can substitute for synthetic graphite, particularly in nuclear-grade applications, premium lithium-ion battery anodes and specialty high-temperature components, markets which together are expected to require on the order of 100,000-200,000 tonnes per year of purified natural high-purity graphite over the next 15-20 years. Management believes this positions Albany to become a premier Canadian supplier of purified natural ultra-high-purity graphite into these specialty markets. This will decrease Canada's reliance on foreign sources and enhance Canada's security of supply in areas critical to our national defence as well as key strategic sectors.

Zentek announced the appointment of Mohammed Jiwan as CEO and a director of the Company, effective December 1, 2025. Jiwan joins Zentek with over 20 years of operational, capital markets, and innovation leadership across public companies and high-growth ventures in technology, healthcare, and life sciences. The Board of Directors thanks Wendy Ford, interim CEO and CFO, for her leadership and contributions during the CEO transition, and looks forward to her continued contributions as CFO.

Zentek announces the development of a novel Graphite Gel-Based Fire-Retardant product that combines both rapid gelation and intumescent components to rapidly protect homes from wildfires. Altek Advanced Materials has been granted conditional, exclusive rights to commercialize the technology in the US, pursuant to a development and collaboration agreement between Zentek and Altek dated November 4. Altek will seek to commercialize the GBFR in the US under the trademarked name GraphGel. The new material combines gel properties that provides a strong thermal barrier against fires and expandable graphite as the active intumescent material to continue protection to surfaces even after the coating dries. The coating consists of bio-friendly materials that can be easily washed off after fire risk has passed. Zentek contracted Intertek to complete independent ASTM E84 testing to assess the fire protection of 1/4" Oriented Strand Board sheets coated with GraphGel. The gel was applied at two different loadings: a Low loading of 0.3-0.4 cm and a High loading of 0.6-0.7 cm. The coated samples were dried and achieved Class A fire rating, the highest, with the Flame Spread Index of 25 for the low thickness and the high measured with an FSI of 5. The coating was designed by Zentek to be rapidly sprayed on structures at over 75 lpm so that average-sized houses can be coated in under 30 minutes. Altek sponsored a live demonstration of the coating in Santa Clarita, California, attended by representatives from California National Guard and local fire departments. The coating protected coated surfaces including shingles, glass, vegetation and siding when exposed to two minutes of fire engagement with temperatures reaching 1500 degrees C. The limit of two minutes of fire exposure was required by the Fire Marshall who was present. Surfaces not coated experienced significant fire damage and were engulfed in flames after two minutes. Altek has signed an agreement with Zentek Ltd. for a conditional exclusive licence to commercialize the product in the US which requires a minimum royalty payment to remain exclusive. Altek has also agreed to pay Zentek for personnel and development costs related to advancing the technology. Additionally, Altek has committed to assuming responsibility for all supplementary testing and chemical expenses directly associated with the product development process.

Zentek shares an update from Albany Graphite on its Critical Minerals Innovation Fund grant-funded activities. AGC in collaboration with American Energy Technologies Company, has purified a second batch of Albany graphite deposit flotation concentrate to an ultra-high 5N purity level of 99.9992 wt.% C. Subsequent elemental analysis of this material yielded a calculated Equivalent Boron Concentration of 2.60 ppm which is below the 3 ppm specification required by the nuclear industry. The findings indicate that the electrothermal Fluidized Bed Reactor purification process developed by AETC has the potential to produce reproducible results, and that ultra-high purity Albany Graphite could be suitable for use in the nuclear energy industry; a field traditionally dominated by synthetic graphite. Highlights: AETC successfully purified a second batch of Albany graphite to an ultra-high 5N purity level, indicating potential reproducibility and suitability for nuclear applications. These results are helping to establish Albany graphite as a rare natural material able to reach the stringent purity required for nuclear applications, traditionally a domain reserved for synthetic graphite. Elemental analysis yielded a calculated EBC of 2.60 ppm, which is below the 3 ppm specification required by the nuclear industry. Achieving this low EBC is crucial, as it ensures the graphite's suitability for safe, reliable use in nuclear reactors, where boron contamination and other elemental contamination can impact reactor performance. The FBR purification process developed by AETC achieved consistent results without the use of halogen gases. This is significant because halogen-free processing reduces costs, environmental risks and operational hazards, offering a cleaner and safer route to high-purity graphite. Ongoing nuclear graphite testing includes measurements of particle size distribution, compressibility, resistivity, and coefficient of friction, along with the production and assessment of near-net-shaped graphite bricks for reactor lining applications. These efforts are important as they ensure that Albany graphite not only meets chemical specifications but also performs reliably in real-world reactor environments.Additional testing will also evaluate Albany graphite's suitability for lithium-ion battery anodes and as a cathode conductivity additive, supporting further advancement in nuclear and battery-grade graphite materials. This versatility is unique, positioning Albany graphite as a promising candidate for multiple high-growth, high-purity markets.