Elementum 3D, in partnership with the University of Utah and Penn State, has secured a NASA Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant to advance cold spray additive m...

Elementum 3D, in partnership with the University of Utah and Penn State, has secured a NASA Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant to advance cold spray additive manufacturing for the high-performance alloy GRX-810. The project focuses on optimizing the bonding mechanics of this oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloy, which was developed by NASA for extreme thermal and oxidative environments. Elementum 3D, headquartered in Erie, Colorado, serves as the lead, providing the GRX-810 feedstock, while Penn State manages process development and the University of Utah utilizes its Laser-Induced Particle Impact Test (LIPIT) system to analyze single-particle bonding behavior. This research aims to establish reliable manufacturing and repair pathways for aerospace propulsion components.

Cold spray additive manufacturing offers a distinct advantage for large-scale aerospace structures by enabling high deposition rates with minimal thermal degradation compared to laser-based powder bed fusion (LPBF) or directed energy deposition (DED). As NASA pushes for increased reusability in deep space propulsion, the industry faces a critical bottleneck in manufacturing components that can withstand repeated extreme thermal cycling. By integrating GRX-810, a material specifically engineered for high-temperature stability, with cold spray technology, the team is addressing the material-process gap that currently limits the service life of rocket engine components. This collaboration positions Elementum 3D at the intersection of advanced materials science and high-velocity deposition, moving beyond standard metal AM applications.

This STTR project provides the fundamental data required to transition GRX-810 from a laboratory-proven alloy to a viable feedstock for industrial-scale cold spray production. For end-users in the aerospace and defense sectors, the success of this research will determine the feasibility of using cold spray for the repair and additive manufacturing of complex, high-temperature engine parts. The project team must now successfully correlate single-particle impact data with bulk material properties to validate the process for flight-critical hardware.