Amaero patent for high-performance titanium alloy enters final phase
May 18, 2020
Amaero International Limited, headquartered in Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia, reports that its international patent application for its high-performance titanium alloy Amalloy Beta Ti has entered its final approval stage, which is the national phase of the Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT).
The PCT is an international treaty with more than 150 Contracting States, allowing patent protection for an invention simultaneously in a large number of countries by filing a single ‘international’ patent application, instead of filing several separate national or regional patent applications. The granting of patents remains under the control of the national or regional patent offices, called the ‘national phase’ [1], which Amalloy Beta Ti has now entered.
The process for filing a patent under the Patent Co-operation Treaty includes:
- Stage 1 – File a provisional patent
- Stage 2 – International type patent search
- Stage 3 – PCT International patent applications
- Stage 4 – National phase patent applications
According to Amaero, the new high-performance titanium alloy, a heat treatable version of a beta titanium alloy, achieves ultra-high strength and fatigue performance via homogeneous precipitation and the removal of grain boundary alpha. Considered to be the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any structural metal [2], titanium is used in multiple applications across the aviation, defence and space industries, all markets which have been experiencing significant long-term growth in value, presenting a significant opportunity for the company. Amaero states that the aviation industry supports $2.7 trillion in world economic activity (3.6% of global gross domestic product) [3], with the global aerospace and defence market estimated to be valued at $1600 billion in the year 2025, growing at a CAGR of 3.5% in the period 2019 to 2025.
The company explains that the alloy was developed by researchers at Monash University, Australia’s largest university, with which it collaborates for the development of Additive Manufacturing technology.
Amaero says it has exclusive global commercial license rights to the patented alloy, and believes it will form an important part of the company’s offering to its aviation, defence and space clients in the future.
The development and patent application reportedly aligns with Amaero’s long-term strategy of expanding its offering through the commercialisation of metal alloys developed by research partners. In addition to Additive Manufacturing, the alloy can also be processed using a number of conventional methods for high-volume manufacturing including extrusion, forging and casting.
A second new high-performance alloy developed by Monash University for Amaero will also enter the national phase in June 2020. Barrie Finnin, Amaero CEO, commented, “The new heat-treatable titanium alloy Amalloy Beta Ti has amazing and compelling mechanical properties for applications such as structural components and fasteners widely used in the aviation, defence and aerospace industries.”
He continued, “Conventional alloys have limitations and are prone to fatigue failures, which is a risk if used in aircraft. The team at Monash designed a heat treatable beta titanium alloy with a novel composition resulting in significant improvements to yield strength of around 30%, as well as enhancing Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS), shear strength and fatigue life. In an aerospace context, being able to deliver improved durability, performance and saving weight makes a strong case for this new alloy to be used in place of the traditional options.”
[1] www.wipo.int/pct/en/faqs/faqs.html
[2] https://titanium.com/the-most-fascinating-titanium-uses
[3] https://aviationbenefits.org/economic-growth/adding-value-to-the-economy