Engineering the Future: High-Performance Metal Powders for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM), colloquially called 3D printing, has many benefits over conventional subtractive manufacturing processes. It offers greater design flexibility, i.e., a ‘freedom of design’ to produce complex geometries and enables the creation of customized components without the need for expensive tooling. It also reduces material waste and strengthens supply chains with on-demand production.

While AM opens up many design possibilities, the application of this technology is determined by the properties of the materials used. The properties of AM powders, such as particle size, shape, and composition, influence the quality, strength, and precision of the printed parts. High-quality powders ensure consistent layer-by-layer processing, efficient energy absorption, and homogeneous melting during the printing process.

To meet these material demands, TANIOBIS offers high-quality refractory metal powders built upon its many years of experience in refractory metal processing. The company also customizes alloy compositions to meet specific application needs. This helps manufacturers to adapt to various industries, such as aerospace, medical technology, and chemical engineering.

Taniobis: A Pioneer in Refractory Metals

Get to Know TANIOBIS

TANIOBIS has established a reputation for its expertise in producing metal powders, particularly tantalum and niobium. The company’s journey began in 1951 under the name H.C. Starck, with the production of tantalum metal powder using a sodium reduction process. In 2002, the company developed the magnesium vapor reduction for refining tantalum and niobium. This shift further improved production efficiency, powder quality, and powder performance.

Over the years, the R&D team and application engineers have re-developed and optimized metal powders for additive manufacturing. In collaboration with renowned scientific institutions, in-depth scientific insights have been gained, opening up new application possibilities for AM powders and helping to meet growing industrial demands.

TANIOBIS promotes sustainability through innovative recycling processes that reduce waste and ensure efficient use of resources. It operates four production facilities located in Germany, Japan, and Thailand, with a strong global presence. This wide reach and commitment to quality and sustainability make TANIOBIS the preferred supplier worldwide.

Why Choose Tantalum and Niobium?

Tantalum and niobium possess exceptional properties that make them ideal for advanced additive manufacturing across various industries. A standout feature is their high melting points. Additionally, both tantalum and niobium form a dense, protective oxide layer when exposed to oxygen. This layer provides excellent corrosion resistance, allowing the materials to withstand harsh environments. Their biocompatibility is another key advantage. Alloys based on tantalum and niobium are chemically very inert. Implants made from tantalum and niobium are less likely to be rejected by surrounding tissues compared with implants made from other metals, making them ideal for application in medical technologies.

AMtrinsic®: Revolutionizing Additive Manufacturing

What is AMtrinsic?

TANIOBIS offers tantalum and niobium metals through its AMtrinsic brand, tailored for additive manufacturing. The product line includes gas-atomized spherical powders and specialized alloys. AMtrinsic powders are known for their high tap density, spherical shapes, and narrow particle size distribution, ensuring superior performance. Tantalum powder offers very good flowability, while niobium demonstrates even better flow characteristics.

TANIOBIS' AMtrinsic tantalum is valued for its high strength, ductility, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. Similarly, niobium powders not only exhibit high ductility and biocompatibility but also stand out for their superconducting properties.

The Development Journey of AMtrinsic

These characteristics combined make AMtrinsic powders cutting-edge materials for additive manufacturing. The name reflects their dual focus: additive manufacturing in combination with the intrinsic properties of tantalum and niobium. Realizing this vision, however, took years of strategic development and technological innovation. Processing tantalum and niobium has always been challenging, due to their high melting points. AMtrinsic niobium and tantalum powders are the practical solution for meeting the requirements of modern additive manufacturing.

Key Features of AMtrinsic Powders

High Melting Points and Thermal Resistance

AMtrinsic tantalum and niobium powders possess exceptional heat resistance. This is due to their very high melting points, with tantalum melting at about 3017°C and niobium at around 2477°C. These properties make AMtrinsic powders perfect for aerospace applications, where components must perform reliably under extreme temperature conditions. For example, niobium and tantalum alloys are used in satellite thrusters and thermal or irradiation shields, where heat resistance and durability are basic requirements.

Biocompatibility and Customization

The chemical inertness and, in particular, the outstanding corrosion resistance of tantalum and niobium alloys make them ideal materials for medical implants. Tantalum's high biocompatibility promotes better integration into human tissue. Tantalum alloys also possess an excellent combination of ductility and strength, allowing the implants to withstand stresses and movements within the body. In addition to standard materials, TANIOBIS offers customized alloy compositions to meet specific requirements for various medical applications.

Efficiency and Sustainability

Tantalum and niobium powders are known for their high ductility, thermal stability, and corrosion resistance. To maintain these properties in additively manufactured parts, the materials must have high purity and low oxygen content. The AMtrinsic series offers spherical tantalum and niobium powders with the lowest oxygen contents. This not only enables the production of components with outstanding performance and longer lifespans, but also allows for efficient powder use in additive manufacturing processes. With fewer repairs and replacements needed, manufacturers save on both material and energy costs.

To further promote sustainability, TANIOBIS has implemented a closed-loop recycling. It recovers scrap from various industries to reclaim and reprocess tantalum and niobium powders for future use. This process significantly lowers raw materials consumption, resulting in conservation of natural resources and a minimized ecological impact. 

The Science Behind AMtrinsic Powders

Advanced Powder Production Techniques

For AMtrinsic powder production, TANIOBIS utilizes the gas atomization technology.  This involves forcing molten metal through a nozzle with a high-pressure gas stream. The melt is thereby converted into spherical particles with consistent size and density. These spherical particles are collected and processed for various additive manufacturing processes.

The spherical shape of the powder particles minimizes agglomeration and enables a homogeneous dispersion in the powder bed, which is a crucial factor for high print quality. The narrow particle size distribution of all AMtrinsic powders ensures uniform melting. This contributes to a consistent surface finish and structural integrity of the printed object.

Placing a strong emphasis on research and development, TANIOBIS has built a valuable partnership with renowned scientific organizations and research facilities. Together, they collaborate on research projects aimed at optimizing powder manufacturing processes and improving powder properties.

Compatibility with AM Technologies

AMtrinsic powders are compatible with a wide range of 3D printing processes, owing to their material properties. Their uniform particle size and spherical shape ensure excellent powder flow, which is crucial in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (LB-PBF) and Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (EB-PBF) processes. Moreover, their high tap density makes them ideal for application in Direct Energy Deposition (DED).

TANIOBIS supports manufacturers in overcoming design and production challenges by providing customized powder formulations. Customers can tailor the material composition and properties of tantalum and niobium alloy powders according to the unique demands of their applications. This makes AMtrinsic powders applicable to a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical technology, and electronics.

Industrial Applications of AMtrinsic® Powders: Pioneering Aerospace Solutions

AMtrinsic powders are ideal for aerospace applications, where components face the extreme conditions of space. One example is satellite thrusters, which operate under extreme temperature fluctuations and radiation exposure. Due to their outstanding heat resistance and superior creep strength, components made from AMtrinsic powders ensure the long-term success of space missions.

Additionally, considering the high cost of launching payloads into space, 3D-printed metal parts with innovative weight-reducing designs, like honeycomb structures, offer a huge advantage.

Breakthroughs in Medical Engineering

Medical implants are crucial for maintaining and restoring mobility and improving patients’ quality of life. However, a major challenge with conventional implant materials is the risk of inflammation or infection, which can lead to the body rejecting the implant. Such events require additional stressful surgeries or treatments.

Tantalum and niobium alloys are emerging as superior alternatives to conventional standard alloys due to their excellent biocompatibility. These materials form a dense, chemically inert surface oxide layer, reducing the risk of adverse reactions. Their exceptional strength, ductility, and elasticity further contribute to their effectiveness for implants such as joint prostheses and spinal devices. Additionally, AMtrinsic alloys also offer excellent ductility and strength, reducing the risk of permanent deformation and ensuring long-term reliability.

Innovations in the Chemical Industry

The chemical industry also benefits from components additively manufactured from AMtrinsic powders, as they perform well even in chemically harsh environments. Owing to their unique corrosion resistance, tantalum-based powders are used for producing valves and pipelines that transport acids and alkaline solutions.

Additionally, AMtrinsic powders provide excellent thermal stability, allowing components to maintain structural integrity under high temperatures. Lastly, these components can withstand high mechanical stress, making them ideal for heat exchangers and piping systems.

Future Directions and Trends

Opening Up New Applications: Shaping the Future of Additive Manufacturing

Tantalum and niobium are poised to support the development of innovative solutions for megatrends such as enhancing global connectivity, demographic shifts, future mobility solutions, and environmental responsibility.

Through targeted research and development, TANIOBIS is continuously expanding the application spectrum of its AMtrinsic powders as pioneering materials in additive manufacturing. The focus is on new and improved products for the medical technology, automotive, and aerospace sectors. TANIOBIS maintains close contact with established research institutions and academic institutes. The company is also committed to developing sustainable solutions to meet the requirements of global trends, such as:

Changing Demographics

Changing demographics are bringing new challenges to the healthcare sector. As the population ages, the demand for customized implants is particularly increasing in the medical technology sector. Tantalum and niobium powders, combined with innovations in 3D printing, play a key role in the development of customized solutions to improve patient care. Due to their unique properties, these materials enable the development of personalized, precisely fitting implants with the highest biocompatibility.

Environmental Responsibility

Economic growth at the expense of the environment is no longer sustainable. Taniobis' closed-loop recycling of tantalum and niobium is leading the way in creating more sustainable and responsible industrial practices, contributing to a cleaner, greener future.

Conclusion: The Impact of Taniobis and AMtrinsic

TANIOBIS plays a key role in additive manufacturing with its AMtrinsic product line. Its tantalum and niobium-based powders unlock the potential of 3D printing by enabling the production of parts with complex geometries and unique properties once thought impossible. The company continuously pushes the boundaries of 3D printing, offering customized material solutions for a wide range of industries.

Discover the endless possibilities of additive manufacturing with TANIOBIS' high-performance powders. Whether you're pushing the boundaries of aerospace innovation or creating customized medical implants, TANIOBIS' tailored tantalum and niobium solutions provide the precision and reliability you need.

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