Strategic Agreement to Strengthen Western Supply of Niobium C-103 and FS-85 AMtrinsic® Powders
Elmet Technologies, the last and only fully integrated, U.S.-owned and operated tungsten and molybdenum manufacturer, today announces the successful signing of a strategic agreement with TANIOBIS GmbH, a leading global producer of high-quality tantalum and niobium materials.
This collaboration is expected to create a more resilient and agile supply chain for AMtrinsic® Nb-Hf-Ti (C-103) powder and AMtrinsic® Nb-Ta-W-Zr (FS-85) powder in the United States and North America.
In addition, the agreement allows for the potential of further expansion into distribution of other AMtrinsic® powders, especially those involving Niobium (Nb) and Tantalum (Ta) based alloys.
Elmet Technologies and TANIOBIS GmbH agreed to collaborate, leveraging their respective experience and expertise in refractory metals, powder metallurgy processing, and additive manufacturing for the mutual benefit of both parties, and work collaboratively to develop and enhance the Western supply chain for niobium, tantalum, and related Nb and Ta based alloys for critical high-performance applications.
Both companies share a common heritage in H.C. Starck. Elmet Technologies acquired H.C. Starck Solutions Americas in 2023, while TANIOBIS, formerly H.C. Starck Tantalum and Niobium GmbH, was acquired by JX Metals and Mining Corporation in 2018 and rebranded as TANIOBIS in 2020.
“For TANIOBIS, with our leading position in niobium-based additive manufacturing powders — including C-103, FS-85, and Cb-752 — Elmet is the ideal partner to deliver comprehensive customer and application support to the U.S. aerospace and defense industries,” says Dr. Ole Brettschneider, Chief Commercial Officer at TANIOBIS. “Combining TANIOBIS’ deep expertise in niobium powder manufacturing and Elmet’s advanced capabilities in powder metallurgy and application development, our long-shared history provides a strong foundation for continuing this journey together.”
As experts in manufacturing molybdenum and tungsten, Elmet Technologies will leverage its existing manufacturing techniques, infrastructure, and powder metallurgy expertise to deliver an extensive portfolio of high-performance products and materials, to now include C-103 and FS-85 powders, among other AMtrinsic® powders consisting of niobium and tantalum in pure and alloyed forms.
Elmet Technologies’ Executive Vice President of Strategy, Scott Knoll, commented: “We believe this strategic collaboration will garner strong support from end-users, and we intend to continue cultivating similar collaborations and alliances in line with our strategic objectives. In addition to unlocking a more comprehensive material, product, and service portfolio for our customers, this collaboration also enhances supply chain resilience and reliability across critical United States and North American industries. Through our shared commitment to innovation and operational agility, the agreement is aligned on long-term growth, sustainability, and supply chain security.”
C-103 (Nb-10Hf-1Ti) alloy meets the requirements of space propulsion applications with its high-temperature strength, ductility, and high creep resistance. In addition to superior mechanical properties, the reduced weight of this alloy in comparison to other refractory alloys bring several advantages to aerospace applications, and at a lower cost when compared to platinum group metals.
FS-85 (Nb-28Ta-10W-1Zr) is a high-strength niobium (Nb) base alloy with superior creep performance, tensile strength, and fatigue resistance. Due to its high-temperature stability, FS-85 is considered a structural material for various aerospace applications.
Niobium (Nb) is the lightest refractory metal and exhibits unique properties such as high temperature stability, superconductivity, high ductility and biocompatibility. Niobium powders are widely used in aerospace, medical, nuclear, energy, and automotive industries.
Tantalum (Ta) exhibits outstanding properties such as high strength, high ductility, excellent corrosion resistance and biocompatibility providing unique possibilities for application in aerospace, medical, nuclear, and chemical industries.
Coinciding with this announcement is the launch of a new Elmet C-103 website. The new website provides information about capabilities, products, and services of Elmet and TANIOBIS related to C-103 material.
About Elmet Technologies
Elmet Technologies is the only U.S.-owned and operated, fully integrated tungsten and molybdenum manufacturer. Its corporate headquarters is in Lewiston, Maine, USA. With its 2023 acquisition of H.C. Starck Solutions Americas, Elmet is now the largest U.S.-owned producer of tungsten and molybdenum materials and products, with nearly 400 employees across three world-class 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 world-class manufacturing facilities each fabricate materials to its global customers’ most exacting specifications. Elmet is ISO9001, AS9100, and ITAR registered.
About TANIOBIS GmbH
TANIOBIS (prior to July 2020 H.C. Starck Tantalum & Niobium GmbH) is a member of JX Advanced Metals Corporation and converts metal ores and secondary materials into high-performance tantalum and niobium-based powders. The company has more than 60 years of experience in the development and manufacturing of high-performance metal powders for capacitors and for sputter targets; chemically highly pure oxides for the optical industry as well as other compounds such as chlorides, nickel niobium and oxalates.
With one of the broadest tantalum and niobium product portfolios, TANIOBIS is one of the world’s leading suppliers of tantalum and niobium powders for applications such as: capacitors, semiconducting materials, and SAW devices. A highly qualified team of employees in R&D and application engineering develops industry- and custom- specific tantalum and niobium powders for a wide range of solutions for advanced applications.