Metalysis produces Niobium containing HEA
South Yorkshire-headquartered company Metalysis Ltd., has announced the production of a Niobium containing High Entropy Alloy (HEA).
HEAs are metastable materials which involve the combination of five or more metals from the periodic table. Niobium containing HEAs, being refractory, are particularly applicable to high temperature applications. These include future applications within the aerospace and gas turbine markets, among other industries.
Metalysis successfully produced the Niobium containing HEA at its industrial scale facility in Wath-Upon-Dearne, which today produces Titanium and Tantalum metal powders, predominantly for 3D Printing. The production of innovative alloy powders represents a significant focus for Metalysis’ research and development function.
While numerous materials scientists have focused their attentions on the creation, testing and improvement on Niobium based HEAs, the Metalysis Process has done so uniquely. The Company’s technology is capable of combining elements of dissimilar melting points, as is clearly illustrated for Aluminium and Tantalum in Table 3. This is difficult to replicate conventionally and therefore underpins the uniqueness and complexity of the Niobium containing HEA produced, as does the Metalysis Process’s ability to combine mismatched densities.
Metalysis’ 'powder in, powder out' proven electrolytic technology can produce many periodic table elements and alloys, and also entirely new alloys. The Company’s ‘Generation 4’ (Gen 4) cell is under construction, with commissioning targeted for Q2 2017.
Gen 4 and subsequently ‘Gen 5’, will prove that the Company’s modular technology can be scaled up to meet a given industrial requirement and offer highly profitable, niche multi-metal powder production at lower cost and less environmental impact compared to traditional production methods. This will include proving to industrial scale the production of the Niobium containing HEA announced today.
Dr Dion Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer of Metalysis, said: “Producing a Niobium containing HEA using our patented process marks the latest in our line of exciting achievements for Metalysis. Doing so further illustrates the wide range of products our technology can deliver, and marks theoretical means to produce a Niobium containing HEA at industrial scale. Pushing the boundaries of traditional alloys production remains a stated aim for Metalysis.
“In the coming months, our Gen 4 project will play an important part in scaling up the Titanium and Tantalum metal powders we commercially produce today, primarily for the 3D printing industry, as well as proving that we can produce at industrial scale a range of unique alloys, including a Niobium containing HEA; all at comparably lower cost and lesser environmental footprint.”