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From Fuel Cells to Stealth Materials: NMG Expands Applications for its Graphite Composites

Business

From Fuel Cells to Stealth Materials: NMG Expands Applications for its Graphite Composites
Business

Business

From Fuel Cells to Stealth Materials: NMG Expands Applications for its Graphite Composites

2025-11-25 20:02 Last Updated At:11-26 15:52

MONTRÉAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2025--

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (“NMG” or the “Company’’) reports positive technological advancement for the development of its product portfolio to serve high-technology markets at the forefront of performance and innovation. The Company’s latest work, carried out in collaboration with advanced materials researchers Professors Frej Mighri, Said Elkoun and Samaneh Shahgaldi associated with Canadian universities, demonstrates the versatility of NMG’s natural graphite materials beyond energy storage into electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) shielding.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251125976557/en/

Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of NMG, stated: These results highlight the adaptability of our graphite materials and the depth of our scientific partnerships. We are transforming graphite innovation into multifunctional solutions that we believe will help us optimize our future sales mix and margins as we contemplate entering new value-added markets to serve the clean energy, advanced communication systems and specialized aeronautics markets. It is our intention to develop new verticals of graphite solutions in partnership with the most sophisticated customers with highly demanding specifications.”

Building on a foundation of scientific research on graphite–polymer composites for fuel-cell bipolar plates published in leading international journals (Polymer Engineering & Science, International Polymer Processing, Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, Journal of Composites Science; 2025), NMG’s R&D team has extended its evaluation of these advanced materials to new functional domains. Supported by active collaborations with Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, as well as Plastiques Gagnon Inc. specialized in industrial plastics, the Company is developing and optimizing its bipolar plate composites while exploring their potential for EMI shielding and electromagnetic protection.

A comprehensive series of thermo-mechanical and microstructural tests confirmed the high crystallinity (~80%), thermal stability above 400°C, and controlled coefficient of thermal expansion of NMG’s graphite–polymer composites, demonstrating robust integrity under variable conditions. The materials achieved tensile strength around 40 MPa and electrical conductivity up to 25 S/cm (12 S/cm through-plane)—a balanced combination that supports both energy and electromagnetic shielding applications.

ASTM D4935 evaluations of the same composite family showed 60–70 dB shielding effectiveness below 2 GHz and 55–65 dB across 1–6 GHz, meeting or exceeding telecom and automotive standards. These results, obtained on materials originally designed for fuel-cell applications, highlight the versatility, durability, and scalability of NMG’s graphite composite platform for next-generation lightweight protection systems in telecom, automotive, and defense sectors.

Testing and validation were conducted with Novika Solutions in ISO-9001-certified facilities, compliant with ASTM D4935. Novika’s infrastructure ensures reliable and independent verification of electromagnetic performance.

Graphite emerges as a strategic bridge between polymer composites and metallic shielding, enabling a new generation of multi-functional materials that combine electromagnetic protection—including radar absorption—with thermal and infrared control. As NMG advances toward defense-grade performance (≥ 80 dB), its R&D roadmap remains focused on scalable, sustainable composites that integrate energy, thermal, and stealth functionalities for intelligent systems.

By testing and optimizing graphite integration into high-performance engineered materials to meet established standards, NMG expands its product portfolio for niche market segments. The Company is pursuing a diversified marketing strategy to leverage the large flake sizes distribution from its future Phase-2 Matawinie Mine for high-value industries in the Western World.

These research projects were partly funded thanks to grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, PRIMA Québec, and MITACS. NMG holds the necessary licences for the use of these projects’ results for research, development and commercial exploitation, or has a right of first refusal regarding the commercial exploitation of these projects’ results. Scientific references featured in this press release were originally published in: Shojaei et al., Polymer Engineering & Science (2025); Shojaei et al., International Polymer Processing (2025); Shojaei et al., Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites (2025); Khairi et al., Journal of Composites Science (2025).

About Nouveau Monde Graphite

Nouveau Monde Graphite is an integrated company developing responsible mining and advanced processing operations to supply the global economy with carbon-neutral advanced graphite materials. The Company is developing in Québec, Canada, a fully integrated ore-to-processed-graphite value chain to serve tomorrow’s industries in energy, defense, technology, and manufacturing. With recognized ESG standards and structuring partnerships with major customers, NMG is set to become a strategic supplier of advanced materials to leading specialized manufacturers while promoting sustainability, innovation, and supply chain traceability. www.NMG.com

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CautionaryNoteRegardingForward-LookingInformation

This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, “forward-looking statements”), including, but not limited to, statements relating to future events or future financial or operating performance of the Company and reflect management’s expectations and assumptions regarding the Company’s growth, results, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to it. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to complete the Phase 2 Matawinie Mine, to optimize its future sales mix and margins, to serve the clean energy, advanced communication systems and specialized aeronautics markets, to develop and optimize its bipolar plate composites while exploring their potential for EMI shielding and electromagnetic protection, to advance toward defense-grade performance, to pursue a diversified marketing strategy to leverage the large flake sizes distribution from its future Phase-2 Matawinie Mine for high-value industries in the Western World, to develop responsible mining and advanced processing operations to supply the global economy with carbon-neutral advanced graphite materials, to develop a fully integrated ore-to-processed-graphite value chain to serve tomorrow’s industries in energy, defense, technology, and manufacturing, to become a strategic supplier of advanced materials to leading specialized manufacturers while promoting sustainability, innovation, and supply chain traceability, to enter into a commercial operating license agreement for projects' results in the event of the exercise of a right of first refusal, and the expected results of the initiatives described in this press release, and those statements which are discussed under the “About Nouveau Monde” paragraph and elsewhere in the press release which essentially describe the Company’s outlook and objectives.

Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions are not guarantees of future performance and may prove to be incorrect. Moreover, these forward-looking statements are based upon various underlying factors and assumptions, including the business relationship between the Company and its stakeholders, the ability to obtain sufficient financing for the development of the Matawinie Mine and the Bécancour Battery Material Plant, the Company’s ability to satisfy the due diligence processes of the stakeholders, and are not guarantees of future performance.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, availability financing or financing on favorable terms for the Company, delays in finalizing the definitive agreements, delays in reaching FID, and general economic conditions, as well as earnings, capital expenditure, cash flow and capital structure risks and general business risks. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in NMG’s Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2025, including in the section thereof captioned “Risk Factors”, which is available on SEDAR+ atwww.sedarplus.caand on EDGAR atwww.sec.gov.Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this Cautionary Note could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management’s expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Further information regarding the Company is available in the SEDAR+ database( www.sedarplus.ca ), and for United States readers on EDGAR( www.sec.gov), and on the Company’s website at:www.NMG.com.

A bipolar plate, fabricated with a high-graphite content sourced from NMG’s Matawinie Mine, is inserted in a fuel cell station for performance testing.

A bipolar plate, fabricated with a high-graphite content sourced from NMG’s Matawinie Mine, is inserted in a fuel cell station for performance testing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Wednesday rescinded a rule that DHS expenditures over $100,000 be personally approved by his office, ending a widely criticized policy implemented by his predecessor Kristi Noem that critics said put a particular burden on the Federal Emergency Management Agency ’s work aiding disaster response and recovery.

The decision marks the first major action by the new Homeland Security leader, sworn in last week, to change a policy implemented by Noem, whom President Donald Trump fired in March.

Mullin's move is expected to ease a spending bottleneck that lawmakers and states said delayed disaster response and recovery funds, though those impacts are unlikely to be widely felt until after the end of the DHS shutdown, now in its 46th day.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed that Mullin rescinded the rule Wednesday, telling The Associated Press the secretary “re-evaluated the contract processes to make sure DHS is serving the American taxpayer efficiently.” CBS News first reported Mullin's decision.

The spokesperson said Mullin’s action will streamline the contracting process and allocate aid more efficiently.

The International Association of Emergency Managers praised Mullin’s decision. “We appreciate Secretary Mullin’s common-sense approach to this matter, and we look forward to working with him,” said Josh Morton, president of IAEM-USA.

Noem issued a directive last June requiring that she personally approve any Department of Homeland Security expenditure over $100,000. Critics said the rule undermined FEMA in particular, an agency that routinely issues contracts and reimbursements well over that amount in its work preparing for and responding to natural and manmade disasters across the U.S.

The policy created “an untenable situation for emergency managers,” Morton said, and a bottleneck that also hindered mitigation and preparedness programs, “putting Americans at increased risk from disasters.”

A recently released report by Democratic members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found the approval rule had delayed at least 1,000 FEMA contracts, grants or disaster reimbursements by September.

The policy came under scrutiny after news reports linked it to unstaffed call centers and delays deploying FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams to Texas during deadly floods last July, and brought sharp rebuke from some state officials and lawmakers, especially Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, whose state is still recovering from devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

“You’ve failed at FEMA,” Tillis told Noem at a Senate hearing the day before she was fired.

About $2.2 billion in recovery and mitigation dollars were in the DHS approval queue Wednesday, according to FEMA data seen by the AP.

“It’s got a great mission, and I think people at FEMA want to do their job,” Mullin told lawmakers at his March confirmation hearing, sparking cautious hope that he would ease the tumult experienced at the agency under Noem.

Mullin said he would keep the agency ”adequately staffed” after it lost over 2,400 employees last year, and said he was already considering nominees for a permanent FEMA administrator, which the agency still lacks.

Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of eliminating FEMA, saying as recently as Tuesday that the agency is “very expensive and it really doesn’t get the job done.”

Michael Coen, FEMA chief of staff during the Obama and Biden administrations, said, “Hopefully this a step toward transparency and stability between FEMA and states."

DHS is reviewing other policies across the agency, pausing the purchase of new warehouses for immigration detention this week as it reviews contracts signed under Noem.

Lifting the spending approval rule will not necessarily mean a rapid flow of FEMA reimbursements to states, tribes and territories, as the agency is still impacted by the DHS fund impasse, now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

While FEMA disaster response and recovery activities are paid out of a non-lapsing Disaster Relief Fund, that money is running low, a FEMA official warned lawmakers in a House hearing last week, with about $3.6 billion remaining. The DHS appropriations bill would add just over $26 billion to the fund.

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday signaled an agreement to end the shutdown could be reached in the coming days.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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