Message from the President

Welcome to the first issue of NanoMatters! This is our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up to date with the latest developments in our technology and applications.

Our partnership with Abakan (see below) enables faster progress, especially in the construction of our MesoCoat subsidary's PComP™ Nanocomposites Cermet Production Facility. Capacity will be expanded to 20,000 pounds per year, thanks to our new seven-foot Niro spray dryer and the Elnik 48-inch, 2200°C vacuum/hydrogen sintering furnace.

Another sign of progress is our new Microcomposite Deformation Processing Center, which includes a 5000-ton forging press, a 350-ton rolling mill, and a 1500-ton extrusion press.

See below for details of our programs as insulators for The Missle Defense Agency's rocket engines, lightweight armor for the U.S. Army, corrosion protection for a range of military vehicles, and the Abakan partnership.

Thanks for reading!

Andrew J. Sherman
ajsherman@powdermetinc.com

SynFoam™ Insulator for MDA Rocket Engines

Imagine thermal insulation that is almost as effective as fiber, yet is ten to a hundred times as strong. That is SynFoam, our ceramic syntactic structural foam insulation. The SynFoam strucural insulator is under contract with the MDA as strucural insulators for rocket engines and is being evaluated by NASA and the U.S. Air Force for re-entry Strucures.

Composed of ceramic microballoons in a ceramic matrix, the systems offer oxidation resistance up to 1650°C, along with low thermal conductivity and high compressive strength. The closed-cell microstructure also makes them resistant to absorption of liquids and gases. We specialize in non-oxide ceramic foams, such as silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and carbon, all of which are suitable for service in high-temperature reducing environments.

Learn more about Powdermet's SynFoam.

Nanocomposite Armor Weighs 30% Less

How can armor weigh 30% less than the conventional steel armor while providing the same or better protection for military vehicles? By making it of SComP™, a powder-metallurgy-based metal-matrix composite reinforced with microballoons made of alumina, silicon carbide, carbon, mullite, or glass.

This material also has exceptional energy-absorption capabilities and high strength-to-weight ratios. An SComP aluminum-matrix panel is being evaluated by the U.S. Army as armor for a door in a military vehicle. Powdermet recently sent nine prototype panels and one prototype door to the U.S. Army for testing against a range of ballistic threats. For more information, read about our powder metallurgy alternative.

Additional applications are envisioned in spacecraft, launch vehicles, and ground transportation systems where strength-to-weight improvements translate into significant lifetime operating cost savings and emissions/environmental impact reduction.

Abakan Acquires 41% Interest In Powdermet

Investment firm Abakan has entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire a 41% interest in Powdermet Inc. According to Robert Miller, CEO of Abakan, "Powdermet has some of the most innovative products we have seen in our quest to invest in new surface modification technology companies. As an added benefit, Abakan increases its interest in the fast growing [Powdermet spin-off company] MesoCoat, Inc. and will hold a direct and indirect 61% ownership position."
Read more about Abakan’s interest.

PComP™ Resists Corrosion in Military Equipment

According to a U.S. Army brochure, "Under Army SBIR sponsorship, [Powdermet spinoff] MesoCoat Inc. developed PComP, an easily grindable and machinable thermal spray coating composition to replace tungsten carbide cobalt and hard chrome plating in high-wear equipment rebuilding applications."

In fact, the coatings are currently being evaluated for corrosion prevention in aircraft structures, landing gear, rail guns, bearings, vehicles, and ship structures.

PComP (particulate composite powder) is a family of metal ceramic composite particles specifically engineered at multiple nano-, micro-, and meso-scale levels to be an ideal alternative to hexavalent chrome plating. The technology combines nanoscale ceramics and metals in a "duplex" structure of a nanocomposite core encapsulated with a metal coating. Read more about the PComP™ alternative.

SynFoam, PComP, and SComP are registered trademarks of Powdermet Inc.