TDA develops advanced ceramics and ceramic processing technology. Our patented metal exchange technology allows us to substitute metal ions into alumina with atomic level dispersion of the metal. This process is the key to making a variety of substituted aluminas, including high temperature ion conducting ceramics such as the ß”-alumina used in the sodium sulfur battery and the AMTEC (alkali metal thermoelectric converter), high optical quality spinel missile domes and ultra-high temperature stable hexaaluminate catalysts. Our unique processing technology can be used to rapidly join or manufacture monolithic silicon carbide or SiC/SiC composite materials.
ß”-Aluminas: At high temperatures these ceramics conduct ions such as sodium and potassium. Using our patented technology for doping aluminas with atomic level dispersion, we make high quality ceramic materials that are used as the electrolyte in sodium sulfur batteries and AMTEC cycles (a no-moving parts power cycle for small, remote power generation).
Missile Domes: Spinels such as MgAl2O4 are abrasion resistant and optically transparent in the IR, visible and infrared. TDA’s metal exchange (doping) technology lets us produce high optical quality parts for use as the domes that protect the sensors in the head of a missile.
Hexaaluminate catalysts: Hexaaluminates are stable at temperatures of over 1000 C. Our metal exchange allows us to easily manufacture multiply substituted aluminas that have improved catalytic activity and exceptional (for example, for catalytic combustion) that are difficult or impossible to make reproducibly with conventional methods.
Joining of Silicon Carbide: TDA is developing methods to reliably and inexpensively join monolithic SiC and SiC/SiC composite parts.