Metal Powder Development and Ultrasonic Atomization

From alloy development to tailored metal powders

The Ultrasonic Metal Atomizer (UMA) at IFE enables production of high-quality metal powders for research, development and industrial innovation. UMA supports rapid exploration of new alloy compositions, customised feedstock development and production of powder for additive manufacturing, coatings and other powder-based technologies.

The facility is particularly suited to early-stage materials development, where small batches of powder are needed for testing, qualification and process optimisation.

What is ultrasonic metal atomization?

Ultrasonic atomization is a powder production process in which molten metal is disintegrated into fine droplets by high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations. The droplets rapidly solidify into highly spherical powder particles with controlled particle size distribution.

The technology provides an efficient route from metal feedstock or experimental alloys to powder suitable for additive manufacturing, coating technologies and advanced materials research.

Research and innovation services

IFE offers R&D services within:

• Development of customised metal powders
• Alloy design and exploratory alloy development
• Powder production for additive manufacturing
• Powders for thermal spray and coating applications
• Feasibility studies and proof-of-concept projects
• Evaluation of recycled and alternative feedstocks
• Powder processing and materials characterisation
• Comparison of cast and powder-based materials

Applications

The metal atomizer can support projects within:

• Metal additive manufacturing (AM)
• Powder metallurgy
• Surface engineering and coatings
• Advanced alloy development
• Corrosion-resistant materials
• Lightweight materials
• Circular manufacturing and material recovery
• Energy, offshore, defence and process industries

Why work with IFE?

The UMA facility is part of IFE’s broader competence in materials science, powder metallurgy and advanced manufacturing. By combining induction melting, ultrasonic atomization and materials characterisation, IFE can support the full development pathway from alloy concept to powder production and application testing.

Whether you are developing a new alloy, evaluating recycled materials or seeking customised powder feedstock, IFE can provide flexible R&D support tailored to your project.