PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a high-tech company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes advanced plasma processes and sustainable solutions which are geared to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and address environmental pollutants, is pleased to announce today that it has been advised by a global aerospace OEM company that PyroGenesis’ Ti64 “coarse” powder has met all the necessary requirements to be added to the client’s approved supplier list. The client (whose name is withheld at its request for confidentiality and competitive reasons) will now begin the formal process of adding PyroGenesis to its internal approved supplier list for this specific powder, a process that is expected to be completed this summer.

This “coarse” powder has a size fraction in the range of 45µm to 150µm and is typically used in additive manufacturing applications such as Electron Beam Melting (EBM) and Direct Energy Deposition (DED).

The qualification process, which involved extensive evaluations including quality management system review, work instructions review, and a rigorous on-site audit of the Company’s production facility, was successfully completed over the course of several years. The final step required the Company to submit samples of its powders for chemical and mechanical properties evaluation to confirm matching client specifications.

“Having our ‘coarse’ Ti64 powder accepted for addition to the approved supplier list of one of the largest aerospace companies in the world underscores the quality and reliability of our NexGen plasma atomization process, our post-processing process, our quality assurance management process, and our quality control system,” said Massimo Dattilo, Vice-President of PyroGenesis Additive. “This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team over the past several years. We look forward to officially being added to the approved supplier list and leveraging this success.”

“This is a colossal achievement for PyroGenesis, particularly for the PyroGenesis Additive division,” said P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “While we have been confident from the outset, this notification from a global aerospace OEM is confirmation that our Board’s decision to re-enter the metal powder market, with a ground-up redesign in the form of the patented NexGen plasma atomization production system, was indeed the right one. This news is even more exciting when taken in the context of the recent announcement of a joint $415-million government/corporate aerospace initiative, to establish an aerospace innovation zone in Montreal, right in our backyard. Today’s announcement positions PyroGenesis well to also be included in one of the world’s foremost aerospace technology developments.”

PyroGenesis is the inventor of the original plasma atomization process and coined the term. The Company’s NexGen system is a patented upgrade to what is considered the gold standard process for the development of metal powder for additive manufacturing, also referred to as metal 3D printing.

“When we decided to re-enter the metal powder production market, we did so with a mandate from the Board to take the plasma atomization process to the next level via a redesigned system we named NexGen,” added Mr. Dattilo. “Our cautious, methodical approach was built around our stated goal to produce some of the highest quality metal powders in the additive manufacturing industry. To help reach that goal, it was important for us to be assessed by the highest quality client under the toughest standards, and that is what we did. This process has been highly beneficial to us, contributing to the continued improvement of our metal powder production process and NexGen technology, as well as to the quality of our metal powder.”

“I am also happy to add that the Company’s ‘fine cut’ Ti64 metal powder is also in the qualification process with the same client, having taken a different qualification path due to changes to the powder specifications by the client during the approval process. We are confident that the ‘fine cut’ powder will also be approved by the client and added to the list of approved suppliers in due course,” noted Mr. Pascali.

The Company’s development of high quality titanium metal powders is part of the Company’s three-tiered solution ecosystem that aligns with economic drivers that are key to global heavy industry. Metal powders are part of the Company’s Commodity Security & Optimization tier, where the recovery of viable metals, and the optimization of production to increase output, helps to maximize raw materials and improve the availability of critical minerals. Titanium has been identified as a critical mineral by the Canadian government.