PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a high-tech firm that designs, develops, manufactures, and commercializes superior plasma processes and sustainable options which are geared to scale back greenhouse gases (GHG) and deal with environmental pollution, has been awarded a patent (US 11839918) from the USA Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) for its NexGen plasma atomization powder.
This US patent, titled, “Methodology and Equipment for Producing Excessive Purity Spherical Metallic Powders at Excessive Manufacturing Charges From One or Two Wires”, describes the corporate’s NexGen plasma atomization know-how for producing steel powder to be used in additive manufacturing. Particularly, the patent describes the revolutionary elements of the NexGen system that create the potential for greater and extra environment friendly manufacturing charges, together with a two-wire simultaneous feedstock method the place the wires themselves are electrically charged previous to reaching the plasma atomization step.
“The NexGen course of is a major departure from typical plasma atomization, because the improved effectivity from NexGen not solely targets greater manufacturing charges, but additionally narrower particle dimension distribution for extra uniformity and consistency, and a capability to tailor particle dimension distribution (PSD) to buyer necessities,” mentioned Pierre Carabin, Chief Expertise Officer and Chief Strategist at PyroGenesis, and the co-inventor of the know-how. “For PyroGenesis, which means producing extra powder in a single system and with solely a single plasma torch – in accordance with our commodity safety and optimization enterprise technique. For our prospects, which means they obtain the best, most spherically-consistent, and densest powders from typical plasma atomization, however with the added advantages of shopping for from a North American-based supply that gives greater yield and fewer waste of a acknowledged crucial mineral, whereas additionally being extra power environment friendly – serving to them to scale back their carbon footprint and meet their Scope 3 emissions targets.”
Conventional plasma atomization – utilizing both a single wire centrally fed by a plasma torch, or three plasma torches aiming at one centrally-positioned wire – has the first drawback of getting a comparatively low manufacturing fee compared to water and fuel atomization, as a result of plasma atomization is a really energetically inefficient course of.
To fight this, PyroGenesis Additive’s NexGen system feeds two separate spools of steel wire (similar to titanium) which are first electrically charged, creating {an electrical} arc that melts the wire earlier than a plasma torch atomizes the melted wire into powder particles utilizing a supersonic plasma stream. This leads to a extra environment friendly atomization of the steel – elevating manufacturing output considerably.
“Plasma atomization is taken into account the gold normal for the manufacturing of additive manufacturing powder,” mentioned Massimo Dattilo, Vice President of PyroGenesis Additive. “PyroGenesis not solely invented the method, however coined the title, which is now extensively used within the business. Due to our dedication to steady enchancment, once we determined to re-enter the market, we did so with a mandate to advance plasma atomization to the following degree by a redesigned system we named “NexGen”. The affirmation of this US patent for NexGen is a key validation of our method and one other main field checked in our market re-entry progress.”
The corporate has patents pending in Canada and different international jurisdictions for a similar NexGen plasma atomization course of.
“The considerably improved effectivity of NexGen, which has shifted the particle dimension distribution of our manufacturing runs, means the bigger common quantity of finer reduce powder we are able to produce per run additionally contains positive powders within the 5μm – 20μm vary appropriate to be used in binder jetting and steel injection molding (MIM). We see MIM – along with the positive powders we are able to supply for laser mattress functions – as a key market forward, as extra firms particularly in shopper electronics proceed to maneuver from chrome steel to titanium to attain weight and corrosion discount,” added Dattilo.
After a number of years of R&D, the corporate not too long ago achieved full commercialization and entrance into the titanium steel powders market with its first by-the-ton business order.
“With a purpose to provide the best high quality steel powders within the additive manufacturing business, PyroGenesis Additive has taken a cautious, methodical method over the previous few years as we designed, then readied, our new NexGen plasma atomization course of,” mentioned P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO PyroGenesis Canada Inc. “With full commercialization achieved, and now with the US patent confirmed for our know-how, we glance ahead with nice optimism concerning our future, with an ever-widening vary of steel powder choices turning into obtainable to the additive manufacturing business.”
The corporate’s improvement of high-quality titanium steel powders is a part of its three-tiered answer ecosystem that aligns with financial drivers which are key to international heavy business. Metallic powders are a part of the corporate’s Commodity Safety and Optimization tier, the place the restoration of viable metals, and the optimization of manufacturing to extend output, helps to maximise uncooked supplies and enhance the supply of crucial minerals. Titanium has been recognized as a crucial mineral by the Canadian authorities and lots of different governments worldwide.
