Stainless steel

QinetiQ Nanomaterials Limited (QNL) has developed of Tesimorph ES-25 - an experimental magnetic stainless steel material with a particle size of 25 nanometres - many times smaller than anything currently available.

The result of QNL's experimental work on alloyed and structured metal nanoparticles, this production breakthrough is particularly applicable to applications like metal injection moulding where smoother flows and therefore finer component detail can be achieved.

Conventional process methods for other steel powders tend to produce relatively large, micron size particles. The Tesima process can produce commercial quantities of nano size particles, opening up a wide range of potential applications for stainless steel nanopowder for the first time.

"We have always known that the Tesima process has great flexibility and a far greater range of capability than the manufacture of basic metal and oxide nanopowders," explains Dr. Paul Reip, Managing Director of QNL.

"This latest development is part of our ongoing work on complex and modified nanomaterials under the Tesimorph brand. We are in the early stages of creating a diverse range of complex and structured materials, including alloys that for the first time can be made at the nano scale. Potential applications for Tesimorph ES-25 and related nanomaterials include metal injection moulding, ultra fine filters, coatings and security features."