Special Notice ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF: Tech Licensing Opportunity: Synthesis of Tungsten Tetraboride (WB4) by Electric Field Assisted Sintering (EFAS)
This federal procurement notice is seeking a licensing opportunity for the synthesis of Tungsten Tetraboride (WB4) using Electric Field Assisted Sintering (EFAS). Tungsten Tetraboride is a material known for its exceptional hardness and thermal properties. EFAS is a modern technique that revolutionizes the production of WB4 by maintaining precise conditions necessary for optimal material characteristics.
The traditional methods of synthesizing WB4, such as arc melting, often result in impurities and unwanted phases. EFAS overcomes these limitations by employing controlled sintering temperatures and accurate atomic ratios without the need to melt the components. This process ensures the production of WB4 with minimal impurities and maximum hardness.
The advantages of this licensing opportunity include enhanced material quality, scalability for larger batches and custom sizes, cost-effectiveness through the use of less expensive raw materials, and radiation resistance suitable for nuclear applications.
The problems solved by this opportunity include inconsistent synthesis quality and low yield of WB4 using traditional methods, high cost and complexity of large-scale production of similar materials, and the lack of cost-effective and efficient materials for extreme thermal environments and radiation shielding.
The market applications for this technology include enhancing the longevity and performance of machining tools in automotive and aerospace manufacturing, providing lighter and more effective armor for defense and ballistic protection, and improving the safety and efficiency of nuclear reactors.
The development status of this technology is at TRL 3, and there is a US Provisional Patent Application in progress.
Interested parties can learn more about this licensing opportunity and the support provided by contacting td@inl.gov or visiting https://inl.gov/technology-deployment/.