PyroGenesis and HPQ Nano to add carbon coating to spherical nano silicon powders

PyroGenesis and HPQ Nano to add carbon coating to spherical nano silicon powders

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HPQ Silicon Resources Inc (CVE:HPQ) (OTC:URAGF) subsidiary HPQ Nano Silicon Powders, which is developing the PUREVAP Nano Silicon Reactor with PyroGenesis Canada Inc (CVE:PYR), plans to add a carbon coating to the spherical nano silicon powders and nanowires as they are being created, the companies announced Wednesday.

Combining the carbon coating process into the same operation cycle that produces the silicon materials, the low-cost transformation of metallurgically produced silicon into spherical silicon nano powders or nano wires, could be game changing for the industry, the company said.

Currently, advance coating processes, such as Atomic Laser Disposition-coating (ALD) require an additional dedicated self-contain process for the coating of the material, capex for the dedicated process equipment, on top of additional material handling, which can increase contamination risk and operational costs.

The companies pointed to Tesla's recent battery day as validation for the silicon coating concept.

"Musk also added that he would tackle one of the key downsides of using silicon inside anodes by coating the silicon with elastic polymer coating and holding the silicon together with elastic binders," the Korea Herald reported in September.

The primary hurdle to increasing Silicon anode content in lithium-ion batteries is the mitigation of silicon swelling and cracking in order to achieve a cyclage stability comparable to graphite, the company said.

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