Over 60% of China's Medical-Grade 3D Printed Tantalum Powder Comes from This Guangdong Company
Stardust Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., founded in 2019, is a technology transfer project from the Institute of New Materials, Guangdong Academy of Sciences. The company specializes in the R&D, production, and sales of high-end refractory metal powders, and is recognized as a national high-tech enterprise and a Guangdong 'Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative' enterprise. With radio frequency (RF) plasma spheroidization at its core, Stardust has mastered multiple process routes for producing spherical powders of rare and refractory metals and compounds, achieving full self-reliance in core technologies. It offers integrated solutions combining high-end equipment, spherical powders, and 3D printing. Key capabilities include RF plasma spheroidization with temperatures up to 10,000°C, handling materials with melting points above 3,422°C (e.g., tungsten), achieving sphericity ≥95% and purity ≥99.95%. The company produces spherical elemental powders (Ta, Nb, W) with purity >99.95%, oxygen content <200 ppm, and sphericity ≥98%, as well as alloy powders and refractory high-entropy alloy powders. It holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, and GJB9001C-2017 certifications, and serves industries such as aerospace, biomedical, nuclear energy, defense, communications, and semiconductors. With over 30 years of technical accumulation, Stardust offers 150+ metal powder grades, holds a 70% market share in medical tantalum powder, and has supported 2,000+ implant surgeries.
2026-08-03
EN ISO/ASTM 52951:2026 Released: First Unified International Standard for Additive Manufacturing Part Information Management
In July–August 2026, ISO and ASTM jointly published EN ISO/ASTM 52951:2026, marking the first international standard to unify methods, modules, and data models for part information management in additive manufacturing. The standard harmonizes data structures and description formats for part information across various AM processes (LPBF, DED, EBM, BJ, etc.) and material systems.
Earlier, six Chinese national standards for metal additive manufacturing took effect on August 1, 2026 (covering zinc powder, aluminum alloy powder, LPBF quality grading, endoscope inspection atlas, coordinator qualification, etc.), essentially completing the domestic standardization framework. The concurrent release of EN ISO/ASTM 52951 signals a shift from individual national standardization efforts toward globally recognized interoperability in AM.
A unified part information standard is critical for supply chain management—when powder suppliers, print service providers, and end users describe part requirements in a common language, the cost and risk of switching between suppliers drop significantly. This is a key step in transitioning AM from customization to industrialization.
Value for powder buyers: ① The unified information standard will lower technical documentation barriers when switching powder suppliers—future powder certification data can flow between users in a standardized format. ② Powder suppliers need to align early with the 52951 data model, structuring product technical parameters (particle size distribution, oxygen content, flowability, etc.) according to the standard to enhance digital traceability. ③ Monitor the coordination between 52951 and the six new Chinese national standards, as dual compliance will become essential for export-oriented powder companies.
2026-08-03
Xichang Jinchen's 1,120-Ton Titanium, Tantalum, and Niobium Powder Project Passes Environmental Review; HDH + Spheroidization Process Targets Semiconductor and Aerospace Applications
On August 2, 2026, the Xichang Ecological Environment Bureau issued a public notice of its preliminary approval for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of Xichang Jinchen Technology Co., Ltd.'s "High-End Metal Powder Industrialization and Deep Processing Project." Located in the Jingjiu Area of the Xichang Vanadium-Titanium Industrial Park, the project involves a total investment of RMB 250 million (including RMB 3.75 million for environmental protection) and will establish a production line with an annual output of 1,120 tons of metal powders (titanium, tantalum, niobium, and their respective alloys) using a combination of hydrogenation-dehydrogenation (HDH) and spheroidization processes.
The project is positioned at the high end of the market, with applications spanning semiconductors, aerospace, 3D printing, and superconductors. Key equipment includes hydrogenation furnaces, dehydrogenation furnaces, jet mills, crushers, and ultrasonic vibrating screens. The public comment period for the EIA runs from August 2 to August 13 (five business days), after which the approval is expected to be finalized. The project had previously been accepted for review on July 20 and completed a 10-business-day public disclosure.
This marks the latest specialized production line focused on refractory metal (tantalum and niobium) powders, following Zhongti New Materials' 8,000-ton base in Anhui and Beifeng Intelligent's bases in Ordos and Linfen. It fills the gap in high-end titanium, tantalum, and niobium powder production capacity in Southwest China. Tantalum and niobium powders are indispensable in semiconductor sputtering targets, superconducting materials, and medical implants, with low domestic localization rates and significant import substitution potential.
Value for powder buyers: ① The 1,120-ton tantalum/niobium powder capacity will help ease the tight supply of high-purity tantalum powder for domestic semiconductor targets; ② Leveraging the titanium ore resources of the Xichang Vanadium-Titanium Industrial Park, titanium powder costs could be lower than those of eastern competitors; ③ The project adopts a combined HDH + spheroidization process, and the sphericity and oxygen content of the final products merit close attention—buyers are advised to arrange for sample testing once production commences.
2026-08-02