PyroGenesis' Titanium Powder Deal Signals a New Era for 3D Printing

MONTREAL, QC – December 10, 2025 – A seemingly routine contract announcement from Montreal-based PyroGenesis is sending quiet but significant ripples through the world of advanced manufacturing. The company, a specialist in ultra-high temperature plasma technology, has secured an initial order to supply its highly specialized "fine cut" titanium powder to a U.S. contract manufacturer. While the client remains confidential, their focus on additive manufacturing for the healthcare and consumer product sectors speaks volumes about the trajectory of an industry rapidly moving from niche prototyping to mainstream production.

This deal, following closely on the heels of another recent order for "coarse" powder from a global aerospace leader, is more than just a mark on a sales ledger. It represents a critical inflection point where advanced materials, strategic supply chains, and the explosive growth of 3D printing converge. PyroGenesis is positioning itself not just as a supplier, but as a key enabler of this manufacturing revolution, producing the fundamental building blocks for the next generation of high-performance products.

The Foundation of Precision: Powder Purity and Process

The significance of the new contract lies in the specifications of the material itself: "fine" cut Ti64 powder, with particles measuring a mere 20-53 microns. This isn't just any metal powder; it's a high-purity, precisely engineered material designed for the most demanding additive manufacturing process: Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). Accounting for roughly half of the entire metal 3D printing market, LPBF systems use a high-powered laser to selectively melt and fuse micro-thin layers of powder, building complex, intricate parts one layer at a time.

The success of this process is entirely dependent on the quality of the powder. The particles must be highly spherical to flow smoothly and pack densely, ensuring the final part is free of voids and structural weaknesses. They must also have extremely low oxygen content and minimal "satellites"—tiny unwanted particles that can disrupt the printing process. This is where PyroGenesis' proprietary NexGen™ plasma atomization technology provides a decisive edge. As the original inventor of plasma atomization, the company has refined its process to produce powders that meet these exacting standards. The NexGen™ system uses thermal plasma to atomize titanium wire into exceptionally clean, spherical droplets that solidify into the ideal powder for LPBF applications, giving manufacturers the consistency needed to create everything from patient-specific surgical implants to lightweight, durable components for consumer electronics.

This technological superiority allows PyroGenesis to compete effectively against other production methods like gas atomization, which can struggle to achieve the same level of purity and sphericity. By delivering a superior raw material, the company is directly enabling the precision and reliability required to push additive manufacturing into regulated and high-stakes fields like medicine.

Fortifying North America's Critical Supply Chain

The strategic importance of this development extends far beyond the factory floor. Titanium is officially designated a "critical mineral" by both the United States and Canada, a status reserved for materials essential to economic and national security whose supply chains are vulnerable to disruption. For decades, North America has relied heavily on imports of titanium sponge and finished goods from a small number of countries, including Russia and China. This dependency creates significant geopolitical and economic risks.

PyroGenesis' Canadian-based production of high-quality titanium powder offers a powerful countermeasure. By creating a reliable domestic source of this crucial material, the company is directly contributing to the resilience of the North American supply chain. This move helps insulate vital industries—including defense, aerospace, and medical—from global trade disputes and supply shocks. A secure, local supply of Ti64 powder ensures that manufacturers of jet engines, military hardware, and life-saving medical devices have uninterrupted access to the materials they need.

Furthermore, the company highlights that its plasma atomization process boasts a lower carbon footprint and is chemical-free compared to alternative methods. This dual benefit of supply chain security and environmental sustainability aligns perfectly with modern industrial strategy, making domestic production not just a strategic imperative but also a responsible choice. As industries face increasing pressure to de-risk their supply chains and adopt greener practices, companies like PyroGenesis that can deliver on both fronts are poised for significant growth.

Capitalizing on a Billion-Dollar Market Shift

The timing of PyroGenesis' push into the titanium powder market could not be better. Industry analysts project the global market for titanium powder used in 3D printing to skyrocket from approximately $214 million in 2023 to an astonishing $1.4 billion by 2032. This exponential growth is fueled by the maturation of additive manufacturing from a tool for rapid prototyping into a viable method for full-scale production.

PyroGenesis' recent contracts demonstrate a shrewd understanding of this market shift. The deal with an aerospace giant for "coarse" powder targets the established, high-volume needs of that sector. This latest contract for "fine" powder, however, targets a different but equally crucial segment: contract manufacturers. These specialized firms provide on-demand production capacity for a wide range of clients, acting as a force multiplier for the entire industry.

As P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis, noted in the announcement, “The services segment of the metal AM space will be a growing presence as the AM industry continues its shift from prototyping to production, driving the need for increased on-demand and localized production capacity.” By supplying these key manufacturing hubs, PyroGenesis is embedding its product deep within the AM ecosystem. This initial order is intended to be the start of an ongoing relationship, positioning the company to scale its sales as its new client—and the contract manufacturing sector as a whole—expands.

This strategy showcases a company moving beyond R&D and leveraging its patented technology to capture a significant share of a rapidly expanding market. The ability to serve both the large-scale industrial users in aerospace and the high-precision, flexible needs of medical and consumer product manufacturers demonstrates a versatile and robust business model aimed at long-term value creation. The innovations in its NexGen™ system, aimed at enhancing efficiency and reducing customer costs, further solidify its competitive advantage in this lucrative and strategically vital field.

The journey of a microscopic metal sphere from a plasma torch in Montreal to a finished orthopedic implant in a U.S. patient encapsulates the future of manufacturing. It's a future built on precision materials, resilient supply chains, and the transformative power of digital fabrication. Through its latest strategic moves, PyroGenesis has made it clear that it plans to be a foundational part of that future, one powder particle at a time.