A new plasma-based technology for making micron and sub-micron metallic powders

Y. C. Francis Thio, Ph.D.President, CEO, and Chief Scientist

Francis.thio@hyperjetfusion.com

F. Douglas Witherspoon, Ph.D.Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

June, 2017 www.hyperjetfusion.com

Elevator Pitch

• HyperJet Fusion, working with Los Alamos National Laboratory, is developing a new approach to fusion power.

• A derivative of our fusion development effort is a new, proprietary plasma jet technology, which has unique advantages for producing micron and sub-micron powders for additive manufacturing and advanced energy storage devices.

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Plasma jet magneto-inertial fusion (PJMIF) laboratory at Los Alamos National Laboratory

A key technology of PJMIF is our proprietary coaxial plasma gun.

Our Team

Dr. Y. C. Francis ThioPresident, CEO, Chief Scientist

Plasma physicist. Formerly Program Manager, DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, NASA MSFC Leader for Fusion Propulsion, inventor of hyperjet fusion (PJMIF) and contour-electrode plasma gun; 35 years of award-winning, scientific research, project, and program leadership, in private industry, national labs, academia, and Federal agencies, with expertise in fusion, space, weapons. Developed five pulsed power labs, launched a 1-gram projectile to orbital velocity electromagnetically. 96 publications

Dr. F. Douglas WitherspoonVice President, Chief Technology Officer

Over 30 years of outstanding scientific and technology R&D in fusion, pulsed power and related fields, project leadership and management; Current leader of plasma guns and technological research in PJMIF; 25+ years of entrepreneurship and founder of two companies. 35 publications

Dr. Scott C. HsuKey CollaboratorLos Alamos National Laboratory

Outstanding plasma physicist leading the multi-institutional team that built, operated, and executed the scientific project and program of the Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX) at LANL under DOE funding (2009–present); Extensive research experience in fusion science. 65 publications

Our Team (Continued)

Dr. Andrew CasePlasma Physicist

Dr. Samuel BrockingtonElectrical Engineer

Dr. Ed CruzNuclear Engineer

Ajoke Williams, M.E.Electrical Engineer

Collaborating Institutions

Key Scientific and Engineering Staff

Physics and Experimental Key partner

Modeling

Diagnostics

ModelingPulsed power, neutronics,

reactor engineeringModeling

New novel alloys through advanced powder metallurgy enable new applications and open up new markets

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Titanium: An example of powders we can produce

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• The market for additive manufacturing (3D printing) is currently worth over $1B, and is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%, expected to grow to ~$30B by 2025.

• Additive manufacturing grade titanium powders sell for $200 - $400/kg.

• Target markets:

• Aerospace grade – demand driven by use of composites and fuel efficiency

• Industrial grade – demand driven by petrochemical, desalination and medical applications

Problem, Solution, Value Proposition

• Problem: Common methods of atomizing a molten stream use gas jets. They suffer from producing powders with a large range of sizes and poor sphericity, resulting in low yields.

• Solution: What atomizes the molten stream is a hydrodynamic instability called Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Gas jets have too low dynamic pressure and velocity shear. We propose to replace gas jets with pulsed plasma jets to increase the ram pressure and velocity shear, in order to sharpen the peak of the Kelvin-Helmholtz hydro instabilities

• Value proposition: Produce smaller particles, with greater sphericity, and narrower distribution of sizes. Increase yields, reduce the production cost and increase the value of the powders produced. Enable production of special powders not producible by other physical methods.

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Conventional methods of producing powders using neutral gas jets

The Market, Customers, and Business Model

• Three business models:• License the technology,• Make and sell powder-making equipment,• Produce and sell the powders

• Further evaluation is required to determine which is the right business model for the company.

• Our preference is to seek a partner which is an established powder manufacturer or a wholesale powder supplier in the industry.

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The New Method of Making Powders

The contoured gap plasma gun, developed by NASA, FES, and ARPA-E for fusion applications

• The proprietary contoured gap plasma gun(s) can be used in a configuration to atomize a molten stream of material

• Details can be provided after an NDA is signed

• Higher and more controllable ram pressure, and velocity shear lead to better control of size and sphericity of powders produced.

Competitive advantages of the new powder technology: Smaller powder, narrower and controllable range of powder size

• We can “dial” the size of the powder by adjusting the flow velocity and impact pressure of the plasma jet

• We can make powders with smaller sizes and greater sphericity.

• We might even be able to control the cooling rate of the powder which could affect its properties

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Our plasma jet technology has the potential of starting with a low-cost raw material and directly producing

additive manufacturing grade titanium powder.

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Spherical powder for 3D printing

• 8800 sq ft facility with loading docks• Vacuum tanks and pumps• Data acquisition systems• Plasma diagnostics• Large EMI-shielded instrumentation room• Prototyping machine shop• CNC lathe & router table• Two HV test bays• HV power supplies, switches, & energy storage

capacitors• Hardware assembly area

Plasma gun and other equipment at HyperJet Fusion Corporation. Facility was developed by HyperVTechnologies Corp but has been acquired by HyperJet Fusion Corporation.

Plasma gun mounted on vacuum tank

Instrumentation room

Assembly Area Plasma gun mounted on vacuum tank

Machine Shop

CNC router table

CNC router table

Business Plan

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• Engineering development and business validation (6 months, $0.5M)• Upon securing financing, incorporate a new company (HyperJet Materials Corporation) dedicated to

pursuing the powder enterprise with new equity structure and technical staff.• Perform engineering development by conducting modeling and experimental tests to determine the

desired gun configuration using surrogate low-melting-point materials.• Conduct business validation. • Plan facility and operation in China.

• Prototype development (12 months, $1M)• Develop the prototype gun, the feed system for the molten stock, and the powder collection system. • Develop engineering data on the plasma gun parameters (velocity, density, Mach number, etc.) to

optimize powder production of particular sizes.• This development may be undertaken in China with technical support from US headquarter.

• Field operation and tests; Develop factory, business plan, marketing, and sale force (6 months, funds required TBD).

• Production begins in Year 3 (funds required TBD)

Summary

• Our vision is to develop the advanced plasma jet technology to produce higher quality micron-size powders at lower cost

• To meet the demands of additive manufacturing and energy storage industries using plasma-based technologies over the next decade.

• We are in an advantageous position to develop this technology by leveraging off our research in fusion power that are separately funded.

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Back-up slides

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A spin-off from advanced fusion technologycurrently under development by U.S. ARPA-E

• Coaxial plasma guns with contoured electrodes and integrated, conformal pulsed power train

• High Mach number• Low-temperature plasma jets for high degree of

collimation• High compressibility

• High velocity (>50 km/s) and high density (>1017

ions per cc)• High jet ram pressure (density x velocity2)

• High efficiency• Low power consumption

• Compact and low cost• Long life time

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