Questions For The Material Science Experts...I understand that the process of carbon coating Nano Si can improve cycling stability, & HPQ has cleverly incorporated this one-step capability into their production of spherical Si nanopowders & nanowires. I applaud their recent achievements & I fully believe in HPQ's potential. However, I'm still unclear on what final iteration of nano Si the auto/battery industry will be purchasing & what further processing of nano Si would they assume (if any?), especially if purchased at a desirable price...
Is a more elegant carbon framework (i.e. nanotube) ultimately the more desirable product for automakers, etc? I'm guessing our carbon-coated product will be sufficient for now. Unlike much of the auto industry, I also assume battery manufacturers will simply need more inexpensive starting materials (nano Si). Will a carbon-coated nano Si product be enough? Would a potential buyer want nano Si that is not only carbon-coated, but also porous? For a non-porous nano Si product, are we anticipating buyers will indefinitely swallow the costs of adding porosity internally or externally? Is "porous" nano Si enough (w/o carbon coating)?...a product that requires an additional processing step & is currently dependent on external inputs (i.e. Apollon Solar process). Is Apollon's porous-producing process economically feasible/scalable, & if so, should we ultimately license the technology & bring it in house? Information never hurts & just trying to gauge investors' confidence & where we currently stand. TIA from a non-expert in the field...