Metal Powder Works Books $162,000 in Zircaloy-4 Orders From Oak Ridge, Army Lab and Defence Buyer

Metal Powder Works has received $162,000 in new purchase orders for Zircaloy-4 powder from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the US Army Research Laboratory and an undisclosed defence customer, with delivery expected before March 2027. TradingView carried the announcement on November 5, 2026.

Metal Powder Works' Three Zircaloy-4 Orders

Metal Powder Works makes metal powders for additive and advanced manufacturing through its DirectPowder solid-state process, serving defence, aerospace, nuclear, naval and automotive customers. All three buyers have purchased other powders from the company before, and the company said the repeat orders across a new alloy system reflect growing confidence in the DirectPowder range.

Metal Powder Works called the $85,000 Oak Ridge order the most material of the three, citing the laboratory's role as the nation's largest science and energy laboratory and a leading centre for developing and qualifying nuclear materials. Oak Ridge researchers published work in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on a molten-salt process that converts polyethylene into gasoline- and diesel-like fuels, NaturalNewsBlogs reported on September 28, 2026.

Zircaloy-4 is a zirconium alloy with small additions of tin, iron and chromium. The company said it offers corrosion resistance and strength in high-temperature environments, and its low neutron absorption suits fuel cladding and other components that need durability and stability.

Managing director John Barnes said: "We have been developing zirconium alloy powders with the nuclear industry for several years and these three new orders put our material in the hands of the laboratories leading that work." He added that the DirectPowder process delivers zirconium alloy powders with tightly controlled chemistry and powder yields above 95%.

Metal Powder Works' Nuclear And Defence Records

According to akta.pro company records, Metal Powder Works expanded a multi-year collaboration with Westinghouse Electric Company in May 2026 to produce specialty alloys including CP-Ti and Zircaloy for nuclear additive manufacturing applications with follow-on contracts. In April 2026 the company said its NextGen DirectPowder machine was validated at a sustained 100 tonnes per annum capacity with more than 95% in-specification yield, setting out a pathway to 800MT of installed capacity by 2028. The same records show Metal Powder Works was selected in March 2026 as the US-based production node within UK MOD's Project TAMPA strategic defence additive manufacturing supply network.

How Metal Powder Works Built Toward The Orders

Metal Powder Works extended its multi-year collaboration with Westinghouse Electric Company through a three-month contract to further optimize powder feedstock for advanced nuclear applications, 3D ADEPT MEDIA reported in May 2026, building on two prior development phases. TCT Magazine reported the same month that the two companies had entered the next phase of their product development collaboration, scaling up over three months to advance powder manufacturing for nuclear energy applications. In September 2026, TCT Magazine reported that the company, founded in 2017, offers more than 30 powder products and plans to scale production from 100 to 800 tons per year by mid-2027.

Metal Powder Works' Delivery Timeline

Metal Powder Works expects delivery of all three orders before March 2027 and confirmed there was no guarantee they would lead to further orders.