Houston, TX & Corvallis, OR, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new independent study conducted by researchers at Oregon State University has confirmed the dramatic environmental benefits of Continuum Powders’ advanced metal recycling technology. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of nickel powder production found that by utilizing Continuum’s Melt-to-Powder (M2P) technology, carbon emissions were reduced by 99.7% compared to conventional virgin nickel powder production. This breakthrough sets a new industry benchmark for sustainable metal powder manufacturing.
Nickel powder is a critical material for aerospace, energy, and defense industries, but traditional production methods rely on energy-intensive virgin metal extraction from mines and ores. Other powder producers often use pre-alloyed ingots or wire feedstock, which require multiple remelting steps, adding to the carbon footprint. In contrast, Continuum Powders’ Greyhound M2P plasma atomization process directly converts 100% scrap material into high-quality metal powder without prior remelting or chemical adjustments. By eliminating these additional processing stages, the M2P technology significantly reduces energy consumption and reinforces the advantages of a truly circular metal economy.
The LCA conducted by Oregon State University’s Industrial Sustainability Laboratory in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, analyzed three different nickel powder production methods. The findings showed that the conventional approach uses 100% virgin nickel, which contributes to 96% of the global warming potential (GWP) in the production process. However, when using 100% recycled nickel feedstock through Continuum’s Houston facility, carbon emissions were cut by 99.7%.
“This study confirms what we’ve known—sustainable metal powder production is not just an aspiration; it’s a reality,” said Sunil Badwe, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer at Continuum Powders. “By transitioning from virgin to recycled metal feedstocks, we’re proving that sustainability and high-performance manufacturing can go hand in hand. The results of this LCA study validate our commitment to reducing emissions while delivering high-quality powder solutions. With 99.7% reduction in carbon emissions than the conventional gas atomizing, Continuum’s powder manufacturing is the most environmentally sustainable method available today, to our best knowledge.”
Karl Haapala, a professor of advanced manufacturing at Oregon State University and co-author of the study, also emphasized the significance of these findings.
“Our findings demonstrate how focused and thoughtful development of advanced technologies and use of industry best practices can improve the sustainability profile of products we use every day,” Haapala said. “Availability of more sustainable metal powders will aid in the continued reduction of impacts of novel products produced using advanced additive manufacturing methods.”
Haapala’s insights underscore the broader implications of sustainable metal powder production, particularly as industries seek solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. Fellow researcher Kamyar Raoufi, a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University, further emphasized the role of advanced recycling technologies in driving meaningful environmental impact.
“As industries face increasing pressure to decarbonize, our research highlights how advanced recycling technologies can dramatically lower the environmental impact of metal powder production,” said Raoufi. “Continuum Powders’ approach represents a tangible step toward a more circular and sustainable manufacturing economy, offering a scalable solution for reducing emissions in critical industries.”
With increasing pressure to reduce industrial carbon emissions, the results of this study highlight the growing importance of sustainable manufacturing solutions. By adopting metal powders produced from 100% recycled feedstock, advanced manufacturers can significantly cut emissions, enhance supply chain resilience, and reduce dependency on scarce raw materials.
This breakthrough further cements Continuum Powders as a leader in low-carbon, high-performance metal powders for additive manufacturing and beyond. The company remains committed to advancing sustainability in manufacturing through cutting-edge technology, strong industry partnerships, and continued research.
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About Continuum Powders
Continuum Powders is the leader in high-performance, sustainable metal powders with locations across the United States and Singapore. Continuum is the creator of The Greyhound M2P (melt to powder) Platform, a patented cradle-to-cradle process of recycling alloyed metal waste-stream products into powder in a single processing step. The platform affords customers the same high-quality spherical metal powder they use today while contributing significantly to their decarbonization and sustainability programs by utilizing Continuum Powders’ nearly carbon-free powder materials.
Continuum Powders is the only company that can combine industry-leading quality with extreme alloy flexibility, supply chain independence, and cost competitiveness while dramatically reducing carbon footprint versus traditional powders.
About Ara Partners
Ara Partners is a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonization. Founded in 2017, Ara Partners seeks to build and scale companies with significant decarbonization impact across the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. The company operates from offices in Houston, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Dublin. Ara Partners closed its third private equity fund in December 2023 with over $2.8 billion in capital commitments. As of December 31, 2023, Ara Partners had approximately $6.2 billion of assets under management.
For more information about Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com.
Amir Iliaifar Continuum Powders amir.iliaifar@continuumpowders.com