H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium introduces AMtrinsic® metal powder range for Additive Manufacturing

Goslar, October 22, 2019. H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH will be launching a new range of atomised tantalum and niobium (Ta/Nb) powders and their alloys under the brand name AMtrinsic®. The products will be available by the November 1st, 2019. AMtrinsic® powders are designed specifically for metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes.

“With this new brand we express our approach to provide powders that allow to combine the unique intrinsic material properties of tantalum and niobium and their alloys with the geometric design freedom offered by additive manufacturing technologies.” – Dr. Melanie Stenzel, Head of Marketing and new Business Development.

The powder systems under the new brand AMtrinsic® include elemental Ta/Nb powders and range from binary over complex multinary to high-entropy alloys also in customer specific compositions. Besides Ta and Nb, alloying elements include e.g. Ti, Zr, Hf, Mo, W, V, Sn, Al but are not limited to those. The powder portfolio is constantly extended to provide alloy compositions with unique intrinsic properties, creating the next generation of materials for AM.

The atomised spherical Nb and Ta powders, and their alloys, open up new opportunities. Due to the unique intrinsic properties of tantalum and niobium, such as high melting points, high corrosion resistance, and excellent chemical resistance, as well as high thermal and electrical conductivity, Ta/Nb, or alloys containing those elements, are suitable for a wide range of high-tech applications, e.g. chemical processing, superconductors, energy, or high-temperature environments.

Moreover, additively-manufactured Ta/Nb containing alloys are a promising alternative for the optimisation of mechanical and biological performance parameters in medical implants. Multinary alloy compositions, or high-entropy alloys containing Ta/Nb, are thereby especially of interest for the design of completely new intrinsic material properties which can provide superior solutions in challenging applications, especially when combined with the freedom to build complex structures in AM processes.

AMtrinsic® powders are characterised by excellent flowability, high tap density, a perfectly spherical shape, and narrow particle-size distribution, which is very important for application in AM technologies including but not limited to Laser Beam Melting, Electron Beam Melting, or Laser Metal Deposition.

H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH will present the brand AMtrinsic® at the upcoming 3D-Printing trade fair Formnext in Frankfurt (19-22 November 2019).

“We are very much looking forward to taking this exciting step to further strengthen our position in the field of additive manufacturing and continuous powder developments with our customers and research partners.” - Dr. Kazuyuki Marukawa, Vice Chairman of H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH.

About H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium: www.hcstarck-tantalum-niobium.com

H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH is a leading global developer and producer of high-quality tantalum and niobium metal powders, high-purity oxides, compounds and chlorides for use in exciting fields such as capacitors, surface acoustic wave filters or semiconductors. These are applied in the areas of modern electronics as well as in aerospace and medical technology, in the chemical processing and automobile industry.

With one of the most comprehensive product portfolios for tantalum and niobium powders, the company is making significant contributions to the implementation of high-tech trends such as additive manufacturing, miniaturization of electronics and to the internet of things. The company employs around 660 staff globally at six sites in Japan, Germany, the USA and Thailand.

H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH belongs to the Japanese JX Nippon Mining & Metals Group, a recognized global company which operates as a subsidiary of JXTG Holdings. Its comprehensive business consists of national and international activities in the area of extraction, processing and refining of metals. It also specializes in the manufacturing of materials for electronic components.