Tantalum is a unique metal used in many specialist applications which has led it to be classified as a critical earth metal. Metalysis is part of a vertically-integrated business so providing for security of supply and use.

Its electrical properties make it a leading choice for the production of high-performance capacitors in critical electronics applications such as smartphones, electronic tablets, computers, the internet of things, airbag deployment systems, brake control systems, and computer control systems in cars. The move towards electric vehicles is creating a stronger demand for higher performance tantalum capacitors which requires tantalum metal powder producers to innovate higher capacitance powders. This is where Metalysis shines, as traditional capacitor powder providers fall short. The Metalysis process allows customers to control their desired morphology direct from the chemical processes which produces high surface area metal powders suitable for capacitor use across a range of capacitance criteria.

Tantalum is also highly useful in additive manufacturing – 3D printing – as it has high biocompatibility, strength, corrosion-resistance and has elastic modulus properties similar to bone making it integral to 3D medical printing.

Wider 3-D printing utilises Tantalum’s resistance to chemical corrosion and high melting-point making it a desirable choice for chemical plant equipment and a host of advanced technology applications such as compact nuclear fusion and other green energy producers.

Our powder metallurgy facilities in England offers unique solutions to our clients. We provide a new paradigm in morphological control, carbon impurity limitation and oxygen optimisation.

With Tantalum being a notoriously difficult element to alloy, the Metalysis process allows us to create a new generation of alloys for use in aerospace, nuclear energy, as well as additive manufacturing across a range of powder diameters, both spheroidised and particulate.

We produce:

• Tantalum pentoxide: Range of oxide powders inc. 99.99% purity

• Potassium heptafluorotantalate, (K2TaF7): Range of products suitable for certain cap grade feedstock and met grade products

• Metal Powders: Range of products for AM, met grade, cap grade and high cv cap grade applications. Custom morphologies and surface areas available.

All Metalysis products are compliant with OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains.

Scandium when alloyed with aluminium creates one of the strongest – and lightest – alloys.

With new scandium oxide mining in Australia, Canada and a new scandium oxide producer centred in Rotterdam, what was the most expensive of metals is about to be commercially viable.

The key growth sectors for Al-Sc (which Metalysis processes from scandium oxide) at 36% and 2% scandium:

Commercial and military aircraft: Al-Sc alloy permits lighter but stronger aircraft using lower energy so permitting longer ranges –at the moment the greatest concentration of Al-Sc is in the MIG 29.

5G networks where Al-Sc coating of sputtering targets for 5G chips creates strength and ultra-reliability is also a key focus on Metalysis’ focus.

Heat exchangers: radiators, condensers, evaporators for the automotive sector driven by the rise of EVs will see a huge rise in the demand for Al-Sc.

Metalysis will effectively create a commercially viable aluminium-scandium market from the combination of a more readily available scandium oxide market and the cost-effectiveness and efficiencies that come from the Metalysis solid-state process.

Titanium-Aluminide (Ti-Al) is lightweight, resistant to oxidation, heat-resistant, but has low ductility. Ti-Al finds use in applications that require these qualities including aircraft construction, jet engines, sporting equipment and automotive.

Ti-Al has three intermetallic compounds of which gamma Titanium-Aluminide is the focus of Metalysis.

Titanium alloys are favoured for additive manufacturing for a range of reasons including its corrosion resistance and high strength to weight ratio.

Currently, the additive manufacturing (3D printing) industry is driving titanium demand, growing at ca. 30% per year. Grade 5 Ti-6Al-4V accounts for 50% of titanium powder usage globally. Our Titanium product family extends beyond Gamma Ti-Al to a wide range of different alloy specifications and compositions, including Grade 5, but also other titanium grades and bespoke alloys.

We can tailor titanium powder size, purity, morphology and its alloying elements producing various sizes down to below 100μm. The flexibility of product form allows our team to target a range of advanced powder metallurgy manufacturing methods that reduce material wastage.

Our processes can also produce titanium alloys in the solid state that would be highly complex and expensive to manufacture using conventional melting techniques. This provides two significant opportunities:

• The process can produce master alloys or pre-alloyed feed for conventional ingot producers.

• Metalysis can develop novel alloys with improved performance that will expand the current market for titanium products.

Metalysis works with a range of commercial partners as well as participating in research projects to test the suitability of titanium powders for new high-end additive manufacturing applications and innovations.

Metalysis currently alloys aluminium-scandium, titanium-aluminide, various tantalum alloys – and is further doing work on other alloys such as Niobium and specialist R&D alloys which can be developed then rolled-out for commercial usage.

High Entropy Alloys (HEAs), are an emergent class of alloys, which for the first time in 5000 years are driving a revolution in multi-element synthesis.

Metalysis is creating a new class of HEAs with both refractory and light-weighting alloys; two highly sought after performance characteristics for end user applications in aerospace, space, automotive and other sectors.

The Metalysis process allows for solid state alloying to take place, which means that elements with mismatched chemical and physical characteristics can for the first time now be alloyed. Traditional alloying processes involve melting, which means elements with low melting points can often vapourise before other elements reach their alloying point.  Furthermore, elements have different chemical bonding processes which traditional production methods cannot bridge.

The Metalysis process does not involve the melting of metal, avoiding any metal vaporization. Metalysis’ technology, therefore, opens up the possibility to develop new classes of HEAs, with Metalysis technology proven on 49 elements of the periodic table.

Since 2020, Metalysis has been working with major aerospace firms on the production of 5 and 6 element HEAs.

The Metalysis HEA product range is a bespoke service with information provided on request at our sales team.