UK-based Metalysis Secures €1m ESA Funding to Scale Sustainable Titanium Production so developing a secure Western supply chain

Metalysis, the South Yorkshire-based global leader in manufacturing critical metal and metal alloy powders for space, aerospace, defence, hypersonics, semiconductors and other advanced manufacturing sectors, has been awarded nearly €1 million, under a programme of and funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), to develop a continuous or quasi-continuous sustainable process for titanium production using the patented Metalysis FFC Process. The 24-month project is a further endorsement of the scalability, sustainability, cost-effectiveness - and Western supply chain security - of the Metalysis FFC technology.

Metalysis will lead a consortium including the UK's Lucideon Ltd, TTP Plc, NCHG Ltd, and Austrian RHP-Technology GmbH, bringing together expertise across ceramics processing, materials science, electrochemistry, process development and powder metallurgy, covering all unit operations affiliated with the Metalysis FFC technology - and purposefully only from UK and EU partners.

The consortium will scale the Metalysis FFC process to support sustainable bulk titanium production. Titanium is a critical metal for space and aerospace applications, and ESA is actively supporting the development of a more sustainable, economically viable, and secure production route. This project has both space and non-space applications, and will build on Metalysis' patented FFC molten salt electrolysis batch process to a continuous or quasi-continuous operation. Currently, through its GEN-3 and GEN-4 reactors, Metalysis can service the Additive Manufacturing (AM) sector, however current volumes are insufficient for the wider bulk titanium market.

Titanium and its alloys are essential to the space and aerospace sectors due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion-resistance and performance at extreme temperatures. Prior to 2022, much of the Western aerospace titanium sponge supply was sourced from Russia, while today China supplies around 70 percent. This has driven urgent demand for alternative, secure supply routes which this project will deliver.

The traditional Kroll process used for titanium production has several significant drawbacks:

• High Cost: Titanium alloy production is expensive due to the multi-step nature of the Kroll process: melting, thermomechanical processing and the need for high-purity raw materials.
• Environmental Impact: The Kroll process involves the use of chlorine gas and produces large amounts of hazardous waste, making it environmentally unsustainable.
• Energy Consumption: The Kroll process based on melting and thermomechanical processing is all energy-intensive, contributing to a large carbon footprint.

The Metalysis FFC process addresses these challenges and offers several key advantages:

• Higher Purity and Efficiency: Molten salt electrolysis can produce titanium with higher purity and lower energy consumption compared to the Kroll process. The direct electrochemical reduction allows for more precise control over alloy composition.
• Reduced Environmental Footprint: This method significantly reduces the environmental impact of titanium production by minimizing hazardous by-products.
• Scalability and Cost-Effectiveness: Molten salt electrolysis has the potential to be more scalable and cost-effective in the long run, especially when adapted into a continuous process.
• Fundamentally, the Metalysis FFC process enables the direct production of titanium alloys in the solid-state, bypassing the multiple melting stages required in the Kroll route. Combined with Powder Metallurgy (PM) for Near Net Shape (NNS) downstream consolidation, it circumvents thermomechanical processing steps associated with traditional routes. The Metalysis FFC process was originally developed at the University of Cambridge in 1997 to provide a more energy-efficient and lower-cost route to titanium alloy production.

Rt Hon. John Healey, MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough & UK Secretary of State for Defence said: "This is great news for South Yorkshire. Metalysis is a world-leading innovator, and this investment from the European Space Agency is a strong vote of confidence in the cutting-edge advanced manufacturing taking place right here in our region. Projects like this support high-skilled jobs, drive sustainable growth and strengthen South Yorkshire's reputation as a growing defence innovation and engineering leader. I look forward to seeing Metalysis continue to scale up and succeed."

Matthew Cook, Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency, said: "This funding for Metalysis and its partners demonstrates the strength of UK innovation in developing sustainable solutions for critical materials. Titanium is essential for space exploration and satellite manufacturing, and establishing a secure, environmentally responsible supply chain is vital for the long-term competitiveness of our space sector. It's great to see British expertise leading the way in transforming how we produce the materials that will enable the next generation of space technology."

Nitesh Shah, CEO Metalysis said: "The near €1 million from ESA to our consortia, led by Metalysis, is further endorsement in our technology and reflects the strategic need across the space, as well as aerospace, defence, hypersonics and wider advanced manufacturing sectors for industrial outputs of critical metals - in this case titanium. Scaling-up our technology to continuous or semi-continuous production will help drive the western supply of sustainable titanium - as the Metalysis FFC process is leaner, greener and cleaner than traditional titanium manufacturing processes".

Tim Abbott, Director of Commerce, Lucideon: said "Lucideon is excited to support this project, leveraging our expertise, in combination with The AMRICC Centre's facilities, to develop and optimise scalable feedstock production processes, enabling more efficient, sustainable solutions such as the Metalysis FFC. We pride ourselves on accelerating innovation, and by combining our materials and processing expertise with state of the art equipment, we look forward to enabling our partners as they achieve reliable, scalable results."

David Pooley, Project Leader at TTP plc, said: "This project is a major step towards securing a sustainable titanium supply chain for the UK and Europe. At TTP, we are translating cutting-edge electrochemistry into robust, scalable manufacturing solutions, using advanced modelling and pilot-scale data to de-risk the route to reliable, large-scale production."

Erich Neubauer, General Manager at RHP said: "We are excited to support this joint effort towards establishing a sustainable and secure supply chain for titanium raw material on an industrial scale. At RHP, we are driving innovation in global industries through manufacturing of advanced, high-performance materials. We will contribute extensive know-how in materials consolidation to this ESA-funded project with the objective to optimize titanium powder and bulk component properties."

Nick Weeks, Director, NCHG Limited said: "This ESA-backed programme is a strong validation of the need to rethink how critical materials are produced in the UK and Europe. For NCHG Limited, it aligns directly with our commitment to building resilient, lower-impact supply chains for British industry, underpinned by the principles of reduce, re-use and recycle. By supporting the development of a more sustainable and scalable route to titanium production, this project helps address both supply chain security and the long-term needs of the energy and mobility sectors."

Metalysis Materials Discovery Centre, Units 4A & 4B, Brindley Way, Catcliffe Rotherham S60 5FS

About the Consortia

Metalysis is a global leader in producing metal powders, alloy powders and high entropy powders for use in space, advanced electronics including semiconductors and capacitors, defence, hypersonics, engineering and construction, aerospace, clean energy, electric vehicles, AI, 5G and the IoTs. Deploying its patented FFC solid-state electrolysis process the firm can reduce metal oxides from 49 elements of the periodic table creating valuable metal, metal alloy and high entropy alloy powders.

Since 2019, Metalysis has emerged as the global leader in space exploration, having partnered with the European Space Agency and the UK's space agency to extract oxygen from lunar regolith. Metalysis was approached because its electrolysis process liberates oxygen from metal oxides - employing an oxygen-evolving anode versus the conventional carbon, means that oxygen is the released gas - which can be captured, and when utilised in-situ on the lunar surface, can provide oxygen for propulsion and life support. Metalysis is the selected technology chosen by the European Space Agency (ESA) upon which all ESA oxygen extraction projects are being developed. Metalysis is also in conversations with commercial partners to accelerate the deployment of a larger scale unit - a Gen 2 and above - on the lunar surface.

Metalysis is a key-midstream asset for the UK and Her allies - providing domestic oxide reduction capabilities within the UK meaning critical materials and rare earth elements are not exposed to supply chain risks.

For more information:

www.metalysis.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/metalysis

Lucideon Ltd: Lucideon is a materials science consultancy, solving its clients' most complex challenges through materials development, process optimisation, and characterisation. Its application of cross-industry insight, materials science expertise, and innovative thinking allows industry to develop and implement disruptive technology platforms, providing cost and/or product performance benefits and enabling real market differentiation. It utilises its many years of experience in development, analysis, and assurance to provide technical consultancy to enable, enhance, and accelerate its clients' R&D activities.

In addition to a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and commercial analysts, Lucideon has world-leading testing and characterisation laboratories, a combination of pilot and feasibility plant and equipment, and a management and certification division.

Lucideon has offices and approved laboratories in both North and South Carolina, as well as New York State, and Staffordshire and Cambridge in the UK.

TTP plc (ttp.com): TTP is an independent technology and product development consultancy where scientists and engineers collaborate to invent, design and develop new products, equipment and processes. With nearly 40 years of innovation experience, our multidisciplinary teams support the full project lifecycle, from early research and feasibility through to detailed engineering, pilot build and transfer to manufacture.

Based in Cambridge, UK, TTP works with clients in industrial, energy and process technologies to deliver market-leading solutions that improve performance, efficiency and sustainability, while reducing technical and supply chain risk. We combine process and chemical engineering, electrochemistry, materials science, power electronics and multi-physics modelling with targeted experimentation to design and de-risk first-of-a-kind systems, including balance of plant, control and instrumentation, and front-end-loading and FEED activities. In the ESA-funded Metalysis consortium, TTP is providing modelling-led process and pilot plant design support to help scale the Metalysis FFC molten salt electrolysis route towards continuous titanium production. For more information please visit: www.ttp.com

RHP-Technology GmbH: founded in 2010 as a spin-off from the Austrian Institute of Technology, is a specialist in the development and manufacturing of advanced materials using powder metallurgy-based processes. Located in Seibersdorf, Austria, RHP combines state-of-the-art technologies-including Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), hot pressing, and additive manufacturing-with a multidisciplinary team and flexible infrastructure. As an SME with a strong background in materials processing our capabilities are ideally suited for consolidating and evaluation of titanium powders produced via the Metalysis FFC process and for conducting in-depth characterisation of the resulting materials. RHP's inclusion in the consortium strengthens the project's ability to bridge the gap between powder production and final component performance. Our expertise in densification, microstructural analysis, and mechanical testing ensures that the titanium products developed through the Metalysis FFC process can be rigorously evaluated and optimised for real-world applications. Additionally, RHP has a wide range background in the development of advanced materials including the studies of interfaces and surface interactions (e.g. contact of molten salts with crucibles).

NCHG Limited - led by Director Nick Weeks and supported by Consultant Joseph Oluleke, is a UK-based company dedicated to building a more resilient and sustainable future for British industry. Guided by the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, NCHG partners with UK manufacturers to accelerate circular manufacturing practices and establish a secure, fully UK-sourced titanium supply by 2030. Through this initiative, the company aims to support the energy and mobility sectors, strengthen domestic supply chains, and drive long-term sustainable innovation.

Notes:

The view expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency.

This release was published on openPR.