Ames Lab receives funding to commercialise gas atomisation design
October 14, 2017
The US Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory has received $392,000 in funding to commercialise a gas atomisation nozzle design used to produce metal powders for manufacturing. In addition, the laboratory will contribute in-kind matching funds of equal value for the project from private sector partner Ampal, Inc., a part of the United States Metal Powders group of companies.
According to Ames Laboratory, its gas atomisation method efficiently produces metal powders that are customisable, consistently sized and spherical, resulting in a smooth flow, optimal packing and improved quality of produced parts.
The funding is part of the DOE’s Office of Technology Transition’s Technology Commercialisation Fund (TCF), announced recently by US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. The funding, totalling $19.7 million, will support 54 projects across 12 National Laboratories involving more than 30 private sector partners, and is expected to help businesses move promising energy technologies from National Laboratories to the marketplace.
“We’ll be working with our industrial partner to adapt our experimental gas atomisation nozzle design to increase efficiency and control in their manufacturing process,” stated Emma White, Ames Laboratory metallurgist. “We hope that if we can demonstrate the advantages of our technology with this manufacturer, it will develop interest across the industry.”
