DAF26BZ02-DV010 — Production of a High Purity Ceramic Powder
Award Maximum: $2,000,000 Period of Performance: 24 months Phase Type: Direct-to-Phase-II (D2P2)
OBJECTIVE: The topic seeks to enable the scale up for the production of a ceramic powder with a production rate of at least one (1) metric ton per year. The powder composition to be specified by the Air Force must retain a high level of homogeneity and purity.
DESCRIPTION: The Air Force has developed a route to a ceramic powder of interest. The Air Force has demonstrated within its laboratories that the process can be scaled to 1 kg batches. Quality control for powder production has been established via ICP-OES/ICP-MS, XRD, SEM cross section of powder green bodies, and TEM with EDS analysis. ICP has been used to analyze for trace impurities and stoichiometric purity. SEM and TEM are used to analyze secondary phase content. At the laboratory scale the powder is at >99.9% pure of contaminates and is within 99% of the desired stoichiometry. Secondary phase presence is <3% by XRD with feature sizes of secondary phases are required to be <100 nm in particle size and <3% present. Powder production involves reverse strike co-precipitation and hydrothermal synthesis. Traditional solid phase synthesis methods are not suitable for a direct to phase II effort. The powder has shown interesting properties in trial studies, and scale up studies need to be conducted. Production rate needs to be demonstrated significantly beyond what our lab is equipped to do (20x increase in rate).
PHASE I: This topic is intended for a technology proven ready to move directly into a Phase II program. A Phase I SBIR award is not required. The applicant is required to provide details and documentation in the Direct to Phase II (D2P2) proposal which demonstrates accomplishments of a "Phase I-type" effort, including a feasibility study demonstrating the expertise needed to scale up co-precipitation and pressurized hydrothermal type reactions to at least 50 kg batch scale or via a continuous reactor setup producing 20 kg/week. Demonstration of the ability to produce powder, preferably ceramic powder, at 500 kg to metric ton scale is desired. The applicant should have demonstrated the capability of providing high purity powder that is 99.9% pure of contaminates. The feasibility study should illustrate past success at the aforementioned scales and rates with materials fitting the above descriptions.
PHASE II: During this program, the applicant shall design: (1) analyze laboratory procedures provided by the Air Force from small scale studies (<1 kg) and develop a plan to scale up the production of the desired ceramic material to 500 kg by the end of the project, (2) demonstrate production rate capability of at least 1 metric ton per year, and (3) deliver 500 kg of 99.9% contaminate free powder within 99% of the desired stoichiometry and <3% secondary phase by XRD with secondary phase domains below 100 nm in size by SEM/TEM to the Air Force by the end of this award. The delivered material should have spherical principal nanoparticles no more than 400 nm in diameter. The applicant shall also provide a cost estimate for price of the material for sale and a cost estimate for reactor system fabrication. The applicant can assume $1000/kg of product in raw material cost if materials were to be purchased from standard off the shelf suppliers. Example procedures will be provided in the references for the desired processes performed on unrelated ceramic materials. Please note: the references are not to the materials of interest. The Air Force will provide the specific composition of the final desired material and specific procedures to the awarded applicant. More details can be discussed with organizations having a current DD2345. The applicant shall show ICP-MS, ICP-OES, XRD, SEM and TEM analysis of material for the selected process with evaluation of material quality for each lot of material made. Samples (~100 g) of powder made from each lot or when new reaction approaches are attempted shall be provided to the Air Force for independent analysis at the Air Forces' discretion. The product shall be delivered in 50 sealed 10 kg containers. Delivery of the first 50 kg of material will be needed within the first 8 months of the award.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The contractor will pursue commercialization of the material made during Phase II with ITAR/CUI eligible organizations. The technologies may be transitioned by expanding mission capabilities to a broad range of potential government users. Additionally, direct procurement of ceramic powder in coordination with the government program manager may be part of a Phase III program.