U.S. Patent No. 12,571,080 – Fabrication of Metallic Parts by Additive Manufacturing

Elmet Technologies, the sole U.S.-owned and vertically integrated tungsten and molybdenum manufacturer, today announces the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 12,571,080 titled “Fabrication of Metallic Parts by Additive Manufacturing.”

As the sixth U.S. patent granted in this field, it further strengthens Elmet Technologies’ growing portfolio of intellectual property in powders and processes for additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy applications.

The patented invention discloses methods for fabricating three-dimensional metallic objects using a dry powder bed of substantially spherical composite particles – each comprising a mixture and/or alloy of constituent metals, including tungsten heavy alloys with controlled additions of nickel, iron, copper, cobalt, or manganese. The process leverages advanced spray drying and optional plasma densification to produce highly flowable, densified composite particles, enabling reliable binder-jet printing and other powder-bed additive manufacturing techniques. The resulting sintered parts meet or exceed ASTM B777 specifications for tungsten heavy alloys, with demonstrated performance in density, hardness, and tensile strength suitable for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications.

“This patent reflects the depth of innovation our team has built over years of materials research,” said Michael T. Stawovy, co-inventor and Vice President of Research & Development at Elmet Technologies. “By combining spray drying and plasma densification, we have developed a reliable pathway to produce powders and metallic parts through additive manufacturing that meet the demanding performance standards of our aerospace and defense customers – all from a domestically owned and operated facility.”

Key features of the patented invention include:

• Flowable Composite Powder: Substantially spherical particles with a Hall flow rate ranging from approximately 1 s/50g to 25 s/50g, enabling consistent powder-bed spreading and binder-jet printing.
• Optimized Particle Architecture: Each composite particle features tungsten grains surrounded by a matrix of lower-melting-point transition metals, yielding controlled densification behavior and minimal shrinkage during sintering.
• High Purity: Interstitial impurity concentrations (oxygen, carbon, and trace elements) are minimized through the plasma densification process, preserving the mechanical integrity of the finished part.
• Dual Fabrication Pathways: The invention covers both powder-bed binder-jet printing and wire-based directed energy deposition, providing manufacturing flexibility for complex tungsten and refractory metal alloy components.

The technology addresses a long-standing challenge in metal additive manufacturing – producing dense, flowable, chemically uniform refractory metal powders that retain their properties under extreme processing conditions. Parts fabricated using this process have demonstrated compliance with ASTM B777 Class 1 specifications, including density, hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation requirements, opening new possibilities to produce complex tungsten components for extreme environments.

This patent builds on a lineage of intellectual property developed by Elmet Technologies, reinforcing its position as a leader in refractory metal solutions.

About Elmet Technologies

Elmet Technologies is the only U.S.-owned and operated, vertically integrated tungsten and molybdenum manufacturer. Its corporate headquarters is in Lewiston, Maine, USA. With its 2023 acquisition of H.C. Starck Solutions Americas, Elmet Technologies is now one of the largest U.S.-owned producers of tungsten and molybdenum materials and products, with nearly 400 employees across three facilities, totaling over 500,000 square feet in Maine, Ohio, and Michigan, USA.

Since 1929, Elmet Technologies has been proudly servicing its customers and applications, including defense, aerospace, medical, semiconductor, industrial furnace, and more. Elmet Technologies’ three manufacturing facilities each fabricate materials to its global customers’ most exacting specifications.

Elmet Technologies is ISO9001, AS9100, and ITAR registered.