@captainblood I believe the cost of silicon ranges between between $70-$150 /KG USD regardless of where it is produced. The difference in price would be based on the purity. Presumably Panasonic, Samsung, CATL, LG Chem etc etc are all using a similar silicon material (albeit at a very low percentage), which averages out at $100 USD /kg. Not sure what AnteoTech is using that cost $10 per kg. Perhaps a question for the AGM.
Anyway, just thought the below may be of interest
Silicon – Definition and how it is produced As a chemical element, the silicon atom is referred to as the symbol 'Si', the atomic number 14 and has an atomic weight of 28. It is the second most abundant chemical element in the earth’s crust, just behind oxygen. Silicon metalloid, also referred to as a semi-metal or metal (although it isn’t one strictly speaking), is best known for its semiconductor characteristics and has been vital in the development of solar energy and electronics, driving digital technology. A semiconductor does not conduct electricity very well in its pure form but, by adding impurities, as is the case in silicon metalloids, it is possible to influence and control electron transport conductivity.
Silicon in its elemental form is not found in nature. It is present together with oxygen and other elements in various minerals. Silicon is typically produced from quartz or quartzite (SiO2), with low content of impurities. Unlike what many sources claim, silicon cannot be produced from fine, powder-like sand. The quartz used in the process is typically sized to 5–100 mm. To produce silicon, oxygen is combined with carbon to produce CO in a complex process with several reaction steps occurring at the same time in an electric arc furnace. The CO gas can be collected or reacted to CO2 when exposed to air.
Due to the high amount of gas produced in the process (CO and SiO), it is important to have a porous furnace charge that can ensure even distribution of the SiO gas in order to maximize the silicon yield. Therefore, it is a common practice to add significant amounts of wood chips to the furnace. This is also the reason why quartz sand cannot be used since it will clog the furnace. The SiO gas that is not captured in the furnace will escape and oxidize by air to silica fume (microsilica). The carbon used in the process can be sourced from biogenic sources, but all types of carbon sources can in principle be used. Elkem is putting a lot of effort into developing silicon, ferrosilicon and silicon metalloids with the lowest footprint possible, and the target in the climate roadmap is to reach net zero CO2 emissions in 2050. The process is also very energy-intensive, typically requiring about 10–14 MWh of electrical power to produce one metric tonne of silicon.
https://www.elkem.com/products/silicon/silicon-metalloid/ VIDEO Also, I assume Group 14, Sila, amprius, enovix etc would be using this same stuff as a starting point and then $$$ chemically manipulating it to make their own patented product.
