HPQ Partner Apollon Solar Delivers First Batch of Carbon Coated Nano Silicon Powders to INRS for Evaluation - Seite 2

SILICON POTENTIAL FOR BATTERY ANODE MATERIAL BECOMES MAINSTREAM

Tesla's latest battery day presentation confirmed that the future of battery anodes will include Silicon. Tesla’s “…plans on removing graphite from the anode …”², points to the need for innovative silicon solutions which HPQ is focused on, to make Silicon - based anodes technically and economically feasible for the production of more efficient rechargeable Li-batteries.

Presently, Silicon is used in a blended form with graphite and typically only represents around 5% by wt, which explains the limited performance improvements achieved to date. The primary hurdle to increasing Silicon anode content in Li-ion batteries is the mitigation of Silicon swelling and cracking during the lithiation phase³ in order to achieve a cycling stability comparable to graphite.

Ongoing R&D indicates that the two most promising avenues for resolving these issues are:

1. Nanosizing Silicon powders to eliminate cracking during the lithiation phase.
   
   
2. Encapsulating the Silicon in order to improve its swelling and cracking characteristics.

HPQ is in the forefront of addressing these issues with the PUREVAP NSiR process and our ongoing work on porous silicon nanopowders and carbon coating nano silicon.

About HPQ Silicon

HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. (TSX-V: HPQ) is a Canadian Innovative Silicon Solutions Provider.

Silicon (Si), also known as silicon metal, is one of today’s key strategic materials needed for the decarbonization of the economy and the Renewable Energy Revolution (“RER”).

Silicon is the most abundant element in earth’s crust but does not exist in its pure state and must be extracted from quartz (SiO₂) in what has historically been a capital and energy intensive process. HPQ is building a portfolio of silicon–based products using innovative scalable processes. The target objective is to produce high value speciality Silicon products using technologies that will reduce energy consumption, GHG’s, and carbon footprint.

Working with PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX-V: PYR), a high-tech company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma - based processes, HPQ is developing:

• The PUREVAP “Quartz Reduction Reactors” (QRR), an innovative process (patent pending), which will permit the one step transformation of quartz (SiO₂) into high purity silicon (Si) at reduced costs, energy input, and carbon footprint that will propagate its considerable renewable energy potential;