PyroGenesis talks latest fumed silica test results

Executive Summary

• PyroGenesis Inc. reports significant progress in its fumed silica reactor (FSR) pilot plant testing, specifically Test Series No. 6, which demonstrates substantial improvements in product quality and operational efficiency.
• The latest tests achieved a three-fold increase in material surface area to 136 square meters per gram, meeting commercial grade requirements for grades 90, 130, and entering the lower range of grade 150.
• The company also reported the total elimination of carbon impurities (0%), improved yield rates (50% faster production time), and confirmed the chemical-free nature of the plasma process with a neutral pH of 8.3.

Key Details

• Surface Area Increase: Test 6 achieved a surface area of 136 square meters per gram ($m^2/g$), a 3x increase from Test 5 (44 $m^2/g$) and a 5x increase from Test 4 (26 $m^2/g$).
• Commercial Grade Compliance: The 136 $m^2/g$ result meets the requirements for commercial grades 90 (75–105 $m^2/g$) and 130 (105–155 $m^2/g$), and enters the lower range of grade 150 (135–165 $m^2/g$).
• Carbon Impurity Elimination: Total elimination of carbon impurity, measured at 0%, down from 0.32% in Test 5 and 2.32% in Test 4.
• Yield and Efficiency: The system produced 10 test batches in 50% less time than the 5 batches produced during Test 5.
• Process Purity (pH): Test 6 showed a pH of 8.3, confirming the process is plasma-based, chemical-free, and produces no hydrochloric acid (HCl) byproducts, unlike conventional methods which yield acidic byproducts (pH 3.7–4.7).
• Impurity Reductions vs. Test 4:
  • TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide): Decreased from 0.01% to 0.0025% (Target: <0.03%).
  • Al2O3 (Aluminum Oxide): Decreased from 0.35% to 0.0422% (Target: <0.03%).
  • Fe2O3 (Iron Oxide): Decreased from 0.14% to 0.0339% (Target: <0.003%).
  • SiO2 (Silicon Dioxide): Increased to 97.92% from 53.59% (Target: >99.5%).
• Loss on Drying: Achieved 0.6%, surpassing the desired targets of 1% and 1.5% for commercial grades 90 and 130-300, respectively.
• Long-term Targets: The company notes an eventual target surface area of 300 $m^2/g$.
• Commercial Context: PyroGenesis holds a 50% interest in HPQ Polvere Inc. (a subsidiary of HPQ Silicon Inc.) and has an exclusive arrangement to be the sole supplier of equipment for the commercialization of this process.

Notable Quotes

• "The results of test 6 are a major step forward toward commercialization of the fumed silica reactor... These latest results indicate we are meeting that goal faster than anticipated while also proving the scale-up potential of the FSR. We are replicating lab-scale results to 20-times scale at an almost unheard-of pace for an industrial application of this size, and we are very excited for what's to come." — P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO, PyroGenesis Inc.