Höganäs says that it has acquired Metasphere Technology a start-up based in Luleå, Sweden, that has reportedly developed a new technology for atomizing metals, carbides and ceramics at very high temperatures.
Metasphere founded in 2009, atomizes metals to metal powder in a reactor in which plasma and centrifugal forces play important roles. The technology allows for melting and atomizing of different sorts of metals such as titanium at very high temperatures.
The high temperatures also enable the atomizing of raw materials that are usually not suited for that kind of process, such as carbides or ceramics. Some materials may not be possible to recycle, but could be re-melted and atomized in Metasphere’s reactor.
The acquisition took place early November this year. While current customers are supplied with products from a pilot reactor, work is ongoing to finalize a production reactor, which will be started during the first quarter of 2018.
Industrial production
‘Thanks to the high temperatures we can achieve very pure and spherical metal powders,’ said Fredrik Emilson, Höganäs CEO. ‘The metal powders produced today are especially well suited for surfaces that need wear, corrosion and impact resistance, for instance within mining, oil and gas and other heavy industries. […] We will be able to offer new and specialized metal powders for surface coating and additive manufacturing, among other areas. When we have scaled up to industrial production we will go to market with a broad spectrum of products, mainly within additive manufacturing, where there is a large demand for innovative materials.’
This story is reprinted from material from Höganäs, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
