HPQ Silicon Resources Inc.
(“HPQ” - “The Company”)
TSX-V: HPQ
; FWB: UGE; Other OTC : URAGF;
is pleased to announce the extension of the Development Agreement
signed in 2017 with Apollon Solar SAS ("Apollon") from
January 1 to June 30, 2020. The biggest change to this fourth
renewal is that the Agreement’s main focus is now on manufacturing
and value generation associated with the deployment of Porous
Silicon (PSi) in the Lithium-ion batteries market, using Apollon’s
patented process to manufacture Porous Silicon Wafers with Silicon
Metal (Si) produced by the HPQ PUREVAP™ Quartz Reduction Reactor
("QRR"). While the agreement is ongoing, HPQ will have a
North American exclusivity over the use of Apollo's patented
process to manufacture Porous Silicon. If required, the
Parties have already agreed to meet in May 2020 to negotiate an
extension.
“HPQ and Apollon are consolidating their
collaborations in order to take maximum advantage of our pioneering
position in the manufacture of Porous Silicon wafers using
PUREVAPTM silicon metal. During 2020, we intend to
demonstrate the commercial potential of the technology and Porous
material produced” said Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO HPQ
Silicon. “Silicon Metal’s potential to meet energy storage demand
is undeniable and generating massive investments, as well as,
serious industry interest, so our timing could not be better.”
POROUS SILICON - AN
ADVANCED MATERIAL WITH CURRENT HIGH COST
CONSTRAINTS
Porous silicon is a Silicon Metal (Si) structure
in which Nanopores have been formed by electrochemical etching.
FE-SEM Images of Porous Silicon electrochemically
etched using the Apollon/CNRS
process: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a67e2e14-f59e-452a-a4ba-4b08b61ae00a
Market opportunities for porous silicon are
massive, ranging from electronics, batteries, environment, consumer
goods, sensors and medicine, to name just a few. Their high
manufacturing cost, since available electrochemical etching
processes require electronic grade silicon (9N to 11N) as a raw
material, represent a significant barrier to their commercial
application.
APOLLON PATENTED LOW-COST PROCESS TO
MANUFACTURING POROUS SILICON (PSi) WAFERS
In 2012, Apollon, working in collaboration with
France INSA Lyon œœ”) France CNRS (“Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique”), developed and obtained a worldwide patent for a
unique low-cost process that uses standard metallurgical Silicon
Metal (2N to 4N+ Si) to produce porous Silicon Wafers that can have
porous structure sizes of either Microporous (<5nm), Mesoporous
(5nm – 50nm) and Macroporous (>50nm) as per end-users
requirements.
NDA WITH LITHIUM-ION BATTERY
MANUFACTURER LOOKING FOR POROUS SILICON
WAFERS
The complement of HPQ and Apollon's unique
capabilities attracted the interest of a next generation
Lithium-ion battery manufacturer looking for a potential supplier
of porous silicon wafers. HPQ and partner Apollon, acting as
one party, have already signed a non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”)
with the battery manufacturer, with discussions and technical
information exchanges are now ongoing. The aim of these
discussions is to have the technical specifications required in
order to provide the battery manufacturer with the Porous Silicon
wafers they are looking for as soon as feasible. For
competitive reasons, the name of the battery manufacturer will
remain confidential for the time being.
GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE MARKET READY TO
EXPLODE
A recent report by Wood Mackenzie Power projects
that energy storage deployments are estimated to grow 1,300% from a
12 Gigawatt-hour market in 2018 to a 158 Gigawatt-hour market in
2024. An estimated US$71 billion in investments will be made
into storage systems where batteries will make up the lion’s share
of capital deployment.
MASSIVE ENERGY STORAGE DEMAND CANNOT BE
MET UNLESS SILICON ANODES REPLACE GRAPHITE
The Li-ion battery is the dominant technology in
energy storage while graphite, a fairly low energy density material
compared to other anode materials, is the dominant anode material
in for Li-Ion batteries.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/541a7985-9ceb-4574-a22e-bdfd8ba6cd5f
Presently, silicon metal powders are blended
with graphite to make anodes for Li-ion batteries, resulting in
less than 10 wt% Si content in Li-ion batteries. Even with
the limited performance improvement achieved to date, demand for
Silicon Metal powders is estimated to represent an addressable
market of US $ 1B by 20221 expanding at a CAGR of 38.9% between
2019 – 2024.
MANUFACTURING POROUS SILICON POWDERS FOR
TRADITIONAL LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
By crushing porous silicon wafers, it should be
possible to make a porous silicon powder that, when combined with
graphite, could improve the performance of currently available
lithium-ion batteries. Porous silicon wafers (Microporous,
Mesoporous and Macroporous) will be manufactured and crushed into
powder. Batteries cycling tests will be carried in order to
define and validate the characteristics of the powders
produced.
About Silicon Metal
Silicon Metal (Si) is one of today’s strategic
materials needed to fulfil the renewable energy revolution
presently under way. Silicon does not exist in its pure state; it
must be extracted from quartz, one of the most abundant minerals of
the earth’s crust and other expensive raw materials in a
carbothermic process.
About HPQ Silicon
HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. (TSX-V: HPQ) is
developing, with PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX-V: PYR), a high-tech
company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes
plasma base processes, the innovative PUREVAPTM “Quartz Reduction
Reactors” (QRR), a truly 2.0 Carbothermic process (patent pending),
which will permit the One Step transformation of Quartz (SiO2) into
High Purity Silicon (Si) at prices that will propagate its
considerable renewable energy potential. The Gen3 PUREVAPTM
QRR pilot plant that will validate the commercial potential of the
process is scheduled to start during Q1 2020.
HPQ, working with PyroGenesis, is also
developing a process that can take the High Purity Silicon (Si)
made by the PUREVAPTM and manufacture Spherical Silicon Metal
nano-powders for Next Gen Li-ion batteries. During Q1 2020,
the plan is to validate our game changing manufacturing approach
using a modified Gen2 PUREVAPTM reactor to produce spherical
Silicon Metal (Si) nano-powders samples for industry participants
and research institutions’.
Concurrently, HPQ is also working with industry
leader Apollon Solar to develop a manufacturing capability that
uses the High Purity Silicon (Si) made with the PUREVAP™ to make
Porous silicon wafers needed for solid-state Li-ion
batteries. The first Silicon wafer should be ready to be ship
for testing to a battery manufacture (under NDA) during Q1
2020.
Finally, with Apollon Solar, we are also looking
into developing a metallurgical pathway of producing Solar Grade
Silicon Metal (SoG Si) that will take full advantage of the
PUREVAPTM QRR one-step production of Silicon (Si) material of 4N+
purity with low boron count (< 1 ppm).
All in all, HPQ focus is becoming the lowest
cost producer of Silicon Metal (Si), High Purity Silicon Metal
(Si), Spherical Si nano-powders for Next Gen Li-ion batteries,
Porous Silicon Wafers for Solid states Li-ion batteries, Porous
Silicon Powders for Li-ion batteries and Solar Grade Silicon Metal
(SoG-Si).
This News Release is available on the
company's CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social
media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A
between Management and Shareholders.
Disclaimers:
The Corporation’s interest in developing the
PUREVAP™ QRR and any projected capital or operating cost savings
associated with its development should not be construed as being
related to the establishing the economic viability or technical
feasibility of any of the Company’s Quartz Projects.
This press release contains certain
forward-looking statements, including, without limitation,
statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate",
"continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and
other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws.
Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current
expectation and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our
expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the
market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the
capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to
research and development, the impact of competitive products and
pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the
regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current
views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject
to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from
time-to-time in the Company's on-going filings with the security’s
regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at
www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ
materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements either as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information
contactBernard J. Tourillon, Chairman, President and CEO
Tel (514) 907-1011 Patrick Levasseur, Vice-President and COO Tel:
(514) 262-9239 http://www.hpqsilicon.com Email:
Info@hpqsilicon.com
[1] Source Marketandmakerts.com
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