SBIR-STTR Award

Scientific innovations are commercially worthless until they are matched by corresponding manufacturing innovations. This dilemma characterizes the current status of nanometer metal powder technology. On one hand, years of scientific research have unambiguously demonstrated the utility of nanoscale metal materials for a myriad of high technology applications; on the other hand, current manufacturing processes are ineffective at producing viable quantities of high-quality material at reasonable cost. New Mexico Nano-Energetics proposes that dynamic gas condensation processes constitute the missing enabling technology for large-scale commercial production of nanometer metal powders. Adaptation and refinement of gas condensation techniques should allow achievement of tunable and precise control of powder particle size and size distribution in the nanometer regime by controlling nucleation and growth of atomic clusters that form in metal vapor. This project will determine the feasibility of employing dynamic gas condensation to commercially produce large quantities of high purity nanometer metal powders at reasonable cost. In addition, feasibility determinations for powder passivation techniques and powder collection schemes for continuous or semi-continuous modes of operation are focal areas. Data obtained from laboratory-scale reactor experiments will be used to guide the design of a commercially viable production apparatus.

Benefits:
This dynamic gas condensation technique will enable the commercial production of materials and components that exhibit unprecedented performance in a variety of applications. Examples include additives that yield tougher metals and polymers for structural applications, source materials for energetic metastable alloys, non-toxic composite energetic materials to replace toxic materials in conventional ammunition, non-toxic additives to enhance the performance of solid rocket propellants, fine grain materials for hydrogen storage, media for high density magnetic storage, and source materials for high temperature superconductors with enhanced flux pinning performance.

Keywords:
condensation nanometer induction metal powder metastable passivation composite