Mr. Mohammed Jiwan reports

ZENTEK SUBSIDIARY ALBANY GRAPHITE CORP. ACHIEVES NEAR-THEORETICAL ANODE PERFORMANCE IN BATTERY SUITABILITY INDEPENDENT TESTING

Zentek Ltd.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Albany Graphite Corp. (AGC), has achieved near theoretical anode performance in independent lithium-ion battery testing using ultrahigh-purity Albany graphite. In four industry-standard coin cell tests, carbon coated, spheroidized Albany graphite delivered an average reversible capacity of approximately 367 mAh/g (milliampere-hours per gram) -- just 1.3 per cent below the theoretical maximum for graphite -- with strong cycling stability and efficient processing. These results indicate that Albany graphite has the potential to serve as a high performance, natural graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries, supporting Zentek's strategy to build a value-added position in the North American battery supply chain.

Results

Near theoretical anode performance: Albany graphite achieved an average reversible capacity 367.35 mAh/g in lithium-ion coin cell tests, within approximately 1.3 per cent of the theoretical maximum for natural graphite (372 mAh/g). This indicates that Albany graphite can deliver energy storage very close to the expected maximum for graphite anodes, making it a strong candidate for high performance lithium-ion battery applications and supporting longer runtime for end users.

Stable cycling, reliability and reproducibility: The material showed very stable performance over approximately 110 cycles as a conductive additive and 110 to 120 cycles as the main anode active material, with no cell failures and irreversible capacity loss between approximately 7.0 per cent and 8.3 per cent. Average capacity retention was above 94 per cent versus the Li/Li+ counter electrode, indicating that Albany graphite can withstand repeated charging with limited degradation, an important requirement for commercial battery production.

Efficient use of spheroidization byproduct: High-purity spheroidization process rejects were successfully blended 50/50 with NMC622 cathode active material as a conductive additive, delivering performance comparable with industry benchmarks while enabling nearly full utilization of graphite processed through the spheroidization process. Using this byproduct improves material yield and supports more cost-efficient and sustainable production of battery grade graphite.

Industry standard testing conditions: All tests were conducted at a C/10 charge/discharge rate and at electrode loadings near 10 milligrams/square centimetre, which are commonly used in evaluating graphite anode materials. Running at these conditions helps ensure that the results are relevant to commercial cell designs and provides partners and investors with a realistic indication of how Albany graphite may perform when scaled up.

Overall significance for battery applications

Competitive advantage: Near-theoretical performance could position Albany graphite as a leading choice for high performance, natural graphite in North America, offering battery makers greater energy density and anode product reliability. Preliminary coin cell cycling tests suggest that the performance of unoptimized Albany anode material could potentially deliver the benefits of the long-term stability of synthetic graphite, while maintaining the near-theoretical capacity available from a natural graphite.

Market relevance: Testing under simulated real-world conditions means the data could reflect what can be expected in commercial cell production, providing confidence for partners and investors.

Process efficiency: Maximizing yield and minimizing waste through the use of shaping process byproduct enhances economic value and sustainability, key factors for large-scale battery supply chains.

Mohammed (Moe) Jiwan, chief executive officer of Zentek, added: "We are extremely pleased with these independent results. Achieving near-theoretical performance under industry standard conditions is a testament to the quality of the Albany material. These results strengthen our value proposition for battery manufacturers seeking high performance, sustainable graphite solutions."

Peter Wood, PEng, PGeo, vice-president, development, of AGC, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical information contained in this news release.

About the Albany graphite project

The Albany graphite project is a unique igneous-hosted, fluid-derived graphite deposit, located in Ontario and has been developed to an advanced exploration stage. The project is located northwest of the communities of Constance Lake First Nation and Hearst, Ont., within 30 kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway, close to established infrastructure including roads, rail, power transmission lines and a natural gas pipeline.

About Zentek Ltd.

Zentek is an ISO 13485:2016 certified intellectual property technology company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel products seeking to give the company's commercial partners a competitive advantage by making their products better, safer and greener.

Zentek's patented technology platform ZenGuard is shown to have enhanced viral filtration efficiency for surgical masks and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems. Zentek's ZenGuard production facility is in Guelph, Ont.

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