Patent ID: 7964172

Claim:
A method of manufacturing high-surface-area silicon powder from silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and magnesium (Mg) in a sealable reactor, the silicon powder having surface area equal to or greater than 100 m 2 /g and a particle size equal to or less than 100 nm, the method comprising the following steps: (1) preparing a homogeneous reactant green mixture from silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and magnesium (Mg); (2) loading the reaction mixture into the sealable reactor; (3) filling the reactor with an inert gas and providing optimum inert gas pressure inside the reactor; (4) providing initial local heating of the powder mixture and initiating a combustion reaction; (5) causing self-sustained reaction under the effect of exothermic heat of the reaction and obtaining a combustion product that comprises silicon and a magnesium oxide phase; (6) cooling the combustion product at a rate in the range of 100 K/s to 400 K/s; and (7) carrying out post-synthesis treatment of the product that involves leaching in order to completely eliminate the magnesium oxide phase followed by short-term milling.