PyroGenesis Improves Fumed Silica Quality, Purity, and Consistency Across Multiple Production Cycles
PyroGenesis (OTCQX: PYRGF) has announced significant improvements in its fumed silica reactor (FSR) project, achieving enhanced material quality, purity, and consistency across multiple production cycles. The company, which has a 50% interest in HPQ Polvere, reported remarkable improvements including 86% reduction in impurities, 85% reduction in carbon presence, and a 57% increase in surface area.
The FSR's unique process eliminates the need for hydrochloric acid (HCl) removal, a requirement in conventional production methods, resulting in cost savings. The technology enables production of various grades of fumed silica, suitable for applications ranging from industrial uses to food and pharmaceuticals. These improvements were verified by a leading global fumed silica manufacturer who had previously tested first-stage material samples.
PyroGenesis (OTCQX: PYRGF) ha annunciato notevoli miglioramenti nel suo progetto di reattore per silice fumata (FSR), ottenendo una qualità del materiale superiore, maggiore purezza e una maggiore costanza in diversi cicli produttivi. L'azienda, che detiene un interesse del 50% in HPQ Polvere, ha riportato miglioramenti significativi tra cui una riduzione dell'86% delle impurità, una riduzione dell'85% della presenza di carbonio e un aumento del 57% della superficie specifica.
Il processo unico del FSR elimina la necessità di rimuovere l'acido cloridrico (HCl), requisito nei metodi di produzione tradizionali, comportando risparmi sui costi. La tecnologia consente la produzione di diverse qualità di silice fumata, adatte a molteplici applicazioni, dall'industriale all'alimentare e farmaceutico. Questi miglioramenti sono stati verificati da un importante produttore globale di silice fumata che aveva precedentemente testato i campioni di materiale della prima fase.
PyroGenesis (OTCQX: PYRGF) ha anunciado mejoras significativas en su proyecto de reactor de sílice fumada (FSR), logrando una mejor calidad del material, mayor pureza y consistencia en múltiples ciclos de producción. La compañía, que posee un 50% de participación en HPQ Polvere, reportó mejoras notables, incluyendo una reducción del 86% en impurezas, una reducción del 85% en la presencia de carbono y un aumento del 57% en el área superficial.
El proceso único del FSR elimina la necesidad de remover ácido clorhídrico (HCl), un requisito en los métodos convencionales de producción, lo que resulta en ahorros de costos. La tecnología permite la producción de varios grados de sílice fumada, adecuados para aplicaciones que van desde usos industriales hasta alimentos y productos farmacéuticos. Estas mejoras fueron verificadas por un fabricante líder mundial de sílice fumada que había probado previamente muestras de material de la primera etapa.
PyroGenesis (OTCQX: PYRGF)는 연무 실리카 반응기(FSR) 프로젝트에서 재료 품질, 순도 및 여러 생산 주기 동안의 일관성을 크게 향상시켰다고 발표했습니다. HPQ Polvere에 50% 지분을 보유한 이 회사는 불순물 86% 감소, 탄소 함량 85% 감소, 표면적 57% 증가라는 놀라운 개선을 보고했습니다.
FSR의 독특한 공정은 기존 생산 방식에서 요구되는 염산(HCl) 제거 과정을 없애 비용 절감을 가능하게 합니다. 이 기술은 산업용부터 식품 및 의약품에 이르는 다양한 등급의 연무 실리카 생산을 가능하게 합니다. 이러한 개선 사항은 이전에 1단계 재료 샘플을 테스트한 세계 유수의 연무 실리카 제조업체에 의해 검증되었습니다.
PyroGenesis (OTCQX : PYRGF) a annoncé des améliorations significatives dans son projet de réacteur de silice fumée (FSR), atteignant une meilleure qualité du matériau, une pureté accrue et une cohérence sur plusieurs cycles de production. La société, qui détient une participation de 50 % dans HPQ Polvere, a rapporté des améliorations remarquables, notamment une réduction de 86 % des impuretés, une réduction de 85 % de la présence de carbone et une augmentation de 57 % de la surface spécifique.
Le procédé unique du FSR élimine le besoin de retirer l'acide chlorhydrique (HCl), une exigence des méthodes de production conventionnelles, ce qui entraîne des économies de coûts. Cette technologie permet la production de différents grades de silice fumée, adaptés à des applications allant de l'industrie à l'alimentation et aux produits pharmaceutiques. Ces améliorations ont été vérifiées par un fabricant mondial de silice fumée de premier plan qui avait précédemment testé des échantillons de matériaux de première phase.
PyroGenesis (OTCQX: PYRGF) hat bedeutende Verbesserungen bei seinem Fumed Silica Reactor (FSR)-Projekt bekannt gegeben und dabei eine verbesserte Materialqualität, Reinheit und Konsistenz über mehrere Produktionszyklen hinweg erreicht. Das Unternehmen, das einen 50%igen Anteil an HPQ Polvere hält, meldete bemerkenswerte Fortschritte, darunter eine 86%ige Reduktion der Verunreinigungen, eine 85%ige Verringerung des Kohlenstoffgehalts und eine 57%ige Erhöhung der Oberfläche.
Der einzigartige Prozess des FSR eliminiert die Notwendigkeit der Entfernung von Salzsäure (HCl), die bei herkömmlichen Produktionsmethoden erforderlich ist, was zu Kosteneinsparungen führt. Die Technologie ermöglicht die Herstellung verschiedener Qualitäten von gefälltem Siliziumdioxid, die für Anwendungen von der Industrie bis hin zu Lebensmitteln und Pharmazeutika geeignet sind. Diese Verbesserungen wurden von einem führenden globalen Hersteller von gefälltem Siliziumdioxid verifiziert, der zuvor Materialproben der ersten Stufe getestet hatte.
- Achieved 86% reduction in impurities and 85% reduction in carbon presence
- Increased fumed silica surface area by 57%, enabling higher-grade applications
- Eliminated need for HCl removal process, resulting in cost savings
- Successfully maintained consistent product properties across multiple production cycles
- Verified results by leading global fumed silica manufacturer
- Still in pilot plant phase, not yet commercially operational
- Further optimization and refinement steps needed for specific market grades
Results verified by leading global fumed silica supplier
MONTREAL, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PyroGenesis Inc. (“PyroGenesis”) (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX: PYR) (OTCQX: PYRGF) (FRA: 8PY1), a high-tech company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes all-electric plasma processes and sustainable solutions to support heavy industry in their energy transition, emission reduction, commodity security, and waste remediation efforts, announces today that further to its news release dated June 12, 2025, and further to a recent press release from PyroGenesis’ client HPQ Silicon Inc. (“HPQ”), the latest upgrades to the fumed silica reactor (“FSR”) project have resulted in increased material quality, purity, and improved product consistency across multiple production cycles. These results were verified by a leading global fumed silica manufacturer, who had previously requested, tested, and verified first stage material samples produced in the FSR pilot plant under the terms of a letter of intent. PyroGenesis has been engaged to develop and build the FSR pilot plant for HPQ Polvere Inc. (“Polvere”), a subsidiary of HPQ. PyroGenesis has: (i) a
As previously reported, a series of FSR modifications and associated test phases are being conducted to help ensure that the scale-up from lab scale to pilot scale results in the successful replication of product quality in larger batch sizes. The focus now is on process optimization and gradually refining the quality of the product.
The results announced today come from the latest in a planned phase of optimization testing, during which the FSR was able to achieve several notable gains towards commercial targeting. These results include (i) a further reduction in impurities by up to
“Fumed silica exists across a range of product grades, with the grade primarily determined by the surface area size and the amount of impurities. There are applications and markets for fumed silica at virtually all grades,” said P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “As an example, the smaller surface area grades can be used in more industrial applications such as rubber or paint, while the larger surface area grades can be used in food and pharmaceuticals. PyroGenesis’ goal for the initial phase which created samples for testing by the end client, was first to create a material that could be identified as fumed silica, and which was acceptable to the client for further modification. This was achieved. In these latest results and for future phase testing, the FSR system and its various inputs and settings are being adjusted to gradually increase the number of grades of fumed silica that the system can produce. This is a natural next step as we focus perfecting the grades towards specific markets. The upgrades and modifications made to the FSR pilot plant since the previous round of tests have led to tremendous gains across a number of targeted data points. We continue to optimize the system over future planned tests, as we target market specific segments for commercial applications.”
Image 1: Packaged fumed silica produced by the FSR ready for shipping to the client’s test facility.
Fumed silica is one of the most widely used industrial materials, and can be found in thousands of products used every day, including personal care, cosmetics, toothpaste, pet litter, powdered food, milkshakes, instant coffee, pharmaceuticals, agriculture (food & feed), adhesives, paints, inks, photocopy toner, sealants, fiber optic cables, thermal insulation, construction materials, and batteries, just to name a few. It is often used in these products as a thickening/anti-caking agent, used to stabilize and improve the texture and consistency of the end-product.
Image 2: A comparison between test series 4 and 5 measuring the presence of impurities in the fumed silica produced by the FSR pilot plant. Test series 5 was conducted after system and process modifications to the FSR.
Of note, impurities are inherent in any fumed silica feedstock and are acceptable in fumed silica at various levels. Each type of impurity has its own maximum acceptable level depending on the fumed silica grade. Reduction of impurities to final desired levels is within the scope of the next phases of FSR testing as part of the process optimization and product refinement steps.
A final unique aspect of PyroGenesis’ FSR is the total absence of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the samples from tests 4 and 5 that were assessed by the end client. This is a unique signature to the FSR process. Other conventional fumed silica production methods produce HCl as a byproduct, which then has to be removed as part of the multi-step conventional process. This step is not required as part of the FSR process, resulting in additional cost savings.
PyroGenesis’ involvement in developing fumed silica from quartz is part of its three-vertical solution ecosystem that aligns with economic drivers that are key to global heavy industry. Fumed powders are part of PyroGenesis’ Commodity Security & Optimization vertical, where the development of advanced material production techniques, and the use of technology such as plasma to recover viable metals, chemicals, and minerals from industrial waste, helps to maximize raw materials and improve the availability of critical minerals. The Company’s other verticals are Energy Transition and Emission Reduction and Waste Remediation.
About PyroGenesis Inc.
PyroGenesis, a high-tech company, is a proud leader in the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced plasma processes and sustainable solutions which reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and are economically attractive alternatives to conventional “dirty” processes. PyroGenesis has created proprietary, patented and advanced plasma technologies that are being vetted and adopted by multiple multibillion dollar industry leaders in four massive markets: iron ore pelletization, aluminum, waste management, and additive manufacturing. With a team of experienced engineers, scientists and technicians working out of its Montreal office, and its 3,800 m2 and 2,940 m2 manufacturing facilities, PyroGenesis maintains its competitive advantage by remaining at the forefront of technology development and commercialization. The operations are ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified, having been ISO certified since 1997. PyroGenesis’ shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada (TSX: PYR), the OTCQX in the US (OTCQX: PYRGF), and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany (FRA: 8PY1).
Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “targets”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “an opportunity exists”, “is positioned”, “estimates”, “intends”, “assumes”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, nor guarantees or assurances of future performance but instead represent management’s current beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by PyroGenesis as of the date of this release, are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk factors identified under “Risk Factors” in PyroGenesis’ latest annual information form, and in other periodic filings that it has made and may make in the future with the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities, all of which are available under PyroGenesis’ profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect PyroGenesis. However, such risk factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. PyroGenesis undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) nor the OTCQX Best Market accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
For further information please contact:
Rodayna Kafal, Vice President, IR/Comms. and Strategic BD
E-mail: ir@pyrogenesis.com
http://www.pyrogenesis.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ca592e88-079e-411c-b046-6f8d079a34cf
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1063ec99-e9b0-47e1-b616-b6795560477d
FAQ
What improvements did PyroGenesis (PYRGF) achieve in its fumed silica reactor project?
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