PyroGenesis Announces That Lab Strength Tests Achieve 45% Above Target for Green Cement Additive Product

Superior results of 7-day tests bode well for fly ash replacement in cement as 28-day test results approach

MONTREAL, April 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX: PYR) (OTCQX: PYRGF) (FRA: 8PY), a high-tech company (the “Company” or “PyroGenesis”) that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes advanced plasma processes and sustainable solutions which are geared to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and address environmental pollutants, is pleased to announce that it has received notice from its client, Progressive Planet, that the results from a series of tests reveal “superb” compressive strength for the PozPyro cement additive material produced by PyroGenesis’ proprietary plasma process – a result that indicates a major step toward commercial feasibility. This plasma-based process – a collaboration with Progressive Planet – explores the feasibility of converting widely available, high-grade, crystalline silica into amorphous silica. The resulting amorphous silica can be used to enhance the strength of concrete as a replacement for fly ash.

As indicated in Progressive Planet’s news release of April 11, over the last month Progressive Planet prepared four separate batches of cement mortar cubes to test, under the American Society for Testing and Materials (“ASTM”) testing protocol, at both 7 and 28 days for compressive strength, for different particle sizes. The average Strength Activity Index (SAI) result for the four 7-day strength tests for PozPyro was 108.75%, a 45% gain against the minimum target value.

“Mortar cubes need to possess 75% of the strength of the control cube at 7 days to pass this ASTM test, so we are delighted that the average strength was 108.75%,” stated Steve Harpur, CEO of Progressive Planet.

The tests were conducted as a key milestone in the PozPyro project which is geared to develop supplementary cementing material (SCM) as an alternative to fly ash. The expectation is that this SCM could then be used to partially replace Portland Cement while at the same time be derived from readily available materials which do not release CO₂. The material is produced using PyroGenesis’ plasma torch reactor to convert quartz silica into a SCM.

“These results are impressive, and underscore yet again the transformative nature of plasma in producing materials, in both an economically and environmentally beneficial manner, key to heavy industry”, said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “Our experience over the past few years in developing new ways to use plasma to process silica quartz into valuable end products continues to lead to a variety of unique and interesting outputs, with PozPyro being the most recent example. The cement industry is a major target for us, and we have high expectations for the PozPyro green cement additive material we have developed with Progressive Planet.”