TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Continuous Electric-Field Assisted Sintering (CEFAS) System

TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY

Continuous Electric-Field Assisted Sintering (CEFAS) System

Revolutionizing traditional EFAS manufacturing with a continuous processing system.

Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), offers the opportunity to explore a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize this Continuous Electric-Field Assisted Sintering (CEFAS) system. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses, and, ultimately, an improved way of life for the American people.

Overview: Electric-field assisted sintering (EFAS) has been the go-to technique for sintering materials through the application of uniaxial forces and electrical currents. However, its batch processing method limits the production volume and part geometries that can be achieved. Traditional EFAS devices are further constrained by factors such as die size, which imposes limitations on scale-up possibilities and part dimensions.

Description: The CEFAS system moves beyond the limitations of batch EFAS systems by introducing a continuous sintering process. Instead of employing uniaxial forces in a closed die setup, this invention leverages a form factor change: electricity now passes across rollers, which heat and compress materials as they travel through. This makes it feasible to produce theoretically infinite sample lengths and paves the way for increased rates of part production.

Benefits:

• Unprecedented 200-fold reduction in processing time compared to traditional EFAS.

• Up to 23-fold decrease in energy consumption.

• Eliminates limitations on part length, facilitating new part geometries.

• Enables seamless industrial scale-up by allowing for continuous processing.

Applications:

• Material processing companies requiring sintering solutions.

• Industries where scale-up and time efficiency are critical.

• Manufacturing processes requiring specialized part geometries.

Development Status: The technology is at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-5 with some validation work done in laboratory.

IP Status: Provisional Patent Application No. 63/502,358, “Sintering Assemblies and Associated Methods,” BEA Docket No. BA-1488.

INL seeks to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities.

Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.