Powder development and production

From alloy concepts to production powder.

Solid State Metal develops small lots of custom alloy powder and is building scalable U.S. supply of traceable, 100% recycled metal powders, beginning with titanium.

  • Custom development campaigns beginning around 500 g
  • Customer-defined chemistry, feedstock, and particle-size distribution
  • Characterization, qualification support, and scale-transition planning
Small lots from approximately 500 g
Customer-supplied feedstock
Tailored particle-size distributions
Lot-specific characterization
U.S.-based supply strategy
Two primary capability pillars

Develop the material. Then build the supply.

Solid State Metal supports both ends of the material lifecycle: rapid small-lot powder development and the transition to recurring production from recycled feedstock.

Custom alloy development
Current commercial offering

Small-Lot Custom Alloy Powder

Convert a new alloy, customer feedstock, or research composition into a characterized powder lot without committing to the minimum order quantities of a conventional production atomizer.

  • Programs beginning around 500 g
  • Customer-defined chemistry and feedstock
  • Tailored LPBF, EBM, and powder-DED size ranges
  • Iterative campaigns for alloy and parameter development
  • Configurable technical data package
Explore Custom Alloy Powder
Recycled production supply
Qualification and scale-up

100% Recycled Production Powder

Build a domestic powder supply around traceable recycled feedstock, controlled process records, lot-level characterization, and a defined transition from pilot acceptance to recurring industrial production.

  • Initial focus on Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5 and Grade 23
  • Known-alloy and traceable recycled feedstock pathways
  • Qualification campaigns before production commitment
  • Standard and customer-defined particle-size distributions
  • Scale planning for recurring commercial supply
Explore Recycled Titanium
Development-to-production path

One technical thread from first powder to recurring supply.

The program is structured so that feedstock records, process settings, test methods, and acceptance criteria can follow the material as quantity increases.

01
Program definition

Define

Set alloy, feedstock, PSD, quantity, test methods, and acceptance criteria.

02
~0.5–5 kg

Feasibility

Establish that the material can be atomized, classified, and characterized.

03
~5–25 kg

Development

Refine parameters, powder behavior, yield, and customer printing conditions.

04
~25–300 kg

Qualification

Produce larger repeatable lots for process validation and customer acceptance.

05
Recurring supply

Production

Transition accepted material into an industrial atomization and supply plan.

Quantities are representative program bands, not universal guaranteed capacities. Actual campaign size depends on alloy, feedstock form, atomization route, PSD yield, test plan, and customer schedule.

Core capabilities

The functions required to deliver a usable powder lot.

Solid State Metal owns the material program and coordinates the appropriate internal, partner, and laboratory resources for each stage.

Available

Feedstock and Program Definition

Define the material requirements before equipment is selected or a run is scheduled.

  • Alloy and chemistry review
  • Feedstock-form assessment
  • Quantity and PSD definition
  • Acceptance criteria and test plan
Partner-enabled

Small-Lot Atomization

Select compact or pilot atomization routes according to alloy, feedstock, and lot size.

  • Ultrasonic atomization
  • Reactive and high-value alloy campaigns
  • Parameter iteration and yield mapping
  • Multi-run development programs
Available

Classification and Powder Finishing

Convert atomizer output into the customer’s usable powder fraction and final lot.

  • Sieving and PSD classification
  • Oversize and fines management
  • Sampling and lot homogenization
  • Packaging and retention samples
Managed testing

Characterization and CoA

Build the data package around the intended print process and qualification stage.

  • Chemistry and O/N/H
  • D10, D50, D90 and sieve results
  • SEM morphology and sphericity
  • Flow, apparent density, and tap density
Available

Qualification Support

Produce repeat lots and technical evidence for the customer’s material approval process.

  • Repeatability campaigns
  • Print and parameter-development material
  • Lot-to-lot comparison
  • Scale-transition planning
Case-by-case

Powder Reprocessing

Recover value from oversized, off-size, or otherwise underutilized metal powder streams.

  • Reclassification into usable cuts
  • Oversized powder re-atomization
  • Reclaimed-fraction characterization
  • Traceable repackaging
Powder data package

Characterization selected around the engineering decision.

The data package is configurable. Early feasibility work may require only chemistry, PSD, and morphology; qualification programs may require repeated testing, process records, print coupons, and lot-to-lot comparison.

  • Bulk alloy chemistry
  • Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen
  • D10, D50, and D90
  • Sieve distribution
  • SEM morphology
  • Sphericity and satellites
  • Hall or Carney flow
  • Apparent and tap density
  • Feedstock traceability
  • Certificate of Analysis
Define a Test Package
Representative characterization package LOT: SSM-XXXX

Representative imagery is shown for capability illustration. Delivered material is accompanied by lot-specific results defined in the project scope.

Program interface

Bring the material requirement. Receive a defined powder program.

What the customer provides

  • Target alloy or nominal chemistry
  • Available feedstock form and quantity
  • Required particle-size distribution
  • Intended AM or powder process
  • Development quantity and future volume
  • Qualification steps and test requirements

What Solid State Metal delivers

  • Technical feasibility and project plan
  • Defined feedstock and atomization route
  • Classified and packaged powder lot
  • Agreed characterization data package
  • Nonconformance and lot records
  • Qualification and production scale roadmap
Capability maturity

Clear distinction between available services and planned scale.

The delivery model is selected by program. Solid State Metal may execute the work directly, manage a qualified production partner, or coordinate external laboratory testing.

Capability Status Delivery model Current positioning
Project definition and feasibility review Available Solid State Metal led Defines alloy, feedstock, quantity, PSD, characterization, and acceptance criteria.
Customer-supplied feedstock programs Available Solid State Metal managed Wire, rod, cast material, and other compatible forms evaluated case by case.
Small-lot custom atomization Partner-enabled Compact and pilot atomization partners Development campaigns beginning around 500 g, subject to alloy and route.
Feedstock casting or conversion Partner-enabled Qualified casting and materials partners Used when the customer alloy must be converted into atomizer-compatible feedstock.
Powder classification and packaging Available Solid State Metal and qualified partners Customer-defined size cuts, sampling, lot identification, and packaging.
Chemistry, O/N/H, SEM, PSD, flow, and density Managed testing External laboratories under SSM test plan Test scope and reporting are defined before the production campaign.
Custom qualification campaigns Available Solid State Metal program management Repeat lots, print-development material, and scale-transition planning.
Recycled titanium development lots In qualification Pilot production and customer evaluation Initial focus on traceable Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5 and Grade 23 powder.
Recurring industrial recycled titanium supply Scale-up Planned U.S. industrial atomization capacity Activated after pilot acceptance, contracted demand, and production qualification.
Solid-state scrap-to-feedstock integration R&D roadmap Internal development and technical partners Future vertical integration for direct conversion of segregated scrap into atomizer feedstock.

Solid State Metal does not represent material as aerospace-qualified, flight-qualified, medical-qualified, or approved for a safety-critical application unless that status has been explicitly established and documented for the specific customer, material, and process.

Material families

Broad custom-development scope. Focused production roadmap.

Custom alloy feasibility is evaluated case by case. Industrial recycled production begins with titanium and expands only after chemistry, quality, and commercial demand are validated.

Ti

Titanium Alloys

Primary production focus: Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5 and Grade 23, plus custom titanium development.

Al

Aluminum Alloys

Custom development and future recycled production for established and emerging AM alloys.

Ni

Nickel Alloys

Custom and qualification-scale campaigns for high-value superalloys, subject to process compatibility.

Cu

Copper and Bronze

Specialty powder development for thermal, electrical, marine, and research applications.

Nb+

Refractory and Exotic Alloys

Small development campaigns for research compositions where conventional minimums are prohibitive.

Start a material program

Have an alloy, feedstock stream, or powder requirement that standard suppliers will not support?

Send us the target chemistry, feedstock form, PSD, quantity, test requirements, and future volume. We will complete an initial technical and commercial feasibility review.