Inexpensive Process for Tungsten Nanopowder Production

Nanostructured tungsten has the potential of exceeding the performance of depleted uranium in kinetic energy devices. To make full density bulk nanocrystalline tungsten, the tungsten powder needs to be less that 20 nm in size, but there currently is no inexpensive and scalable method to mass-produce nanosized tungsten powders. In this Phase I SBIR project, TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) will develop an inexpensive and scalable process for the production of tungsten nanopowders. The process will use low-cost tungsten precursors and conventional production methods. To demonstrate the process, at the end of the project we will produce 1 kg of tungsten powder and analyze the particle size and impurity content. Finally, we will evaluate the potential for process to be scaled to greater than 2 kg/hr and estimate the cost of production.