Department of Defense Awards 6K Additive a $23.4 million Grant as Part of a More Than $50 Million Investment Program for Upcycling Critical Metals for use in Key Defense Applications

6K Additive to double capacity and expand domestic upcycling capability to create, maintain, protect, and restore U.S. industrial base capabilities that are critical to the Department and the American Warfighter.

Pittsburgh, Pa., Dec. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 6K Additive, a division of 6K Inc. and leader in the sustainable production of metals, today announced that it has initiated a significant investment program that will expand current capacity and add to its growing capabilities for metal processing. The more than $50 million program is being supported by a $23.4 million grant award through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Industrial Base Policy, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) directorate.

The agreement, entered into under Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III authorities, will help 6K Additive increase capabilities to upcycle high-grade metals, including titanium, nickel and refractory metals, used in alloys for aircraft structural components, turbine engine blades, rocket engines, radar systems, and many other critical defense applications. In addition to doubling capacity, the program will enable expansion in scrap sort, segregate, and processing, as well as the production of powder and remelt ingot to increase capability of domestic mill product capacity. The investment will support 6K Additive's effort in facility renovation, talent acquisition, equipment installation, and engineering that are core to this overall program. 

6K's proprietary upscaling processes leverage abundant domestic sources of metal feedstock to include end of life components, machine shop swarf, and scrap from manufacturing processes such as casting and forging. With MCEIP's help, 6K expects to expand its capabilities and achieve full rate production at their Burgettstown, PA facility by the end of 2026.

Frank Roberts, President of 6K Additive commented, "Our country's national security relies heavily on materials used across numerous applications and controlling the supply chain from within the borders of the United States is paramount. We are excited to announce this important expansion program which enhances our capabilities to support our defense and commercial customer base.  The $23.4 million award from the DoD is a testament to the capabilities of 6K Additive for upcycling the most critical metals and alloys. No other organization has the history, experience, infrastructure or potential 6K Additive has in upcycling materials like titanium, nickel superalloys and refractory metals. We're honored to be selected for the award and recognize the trust the DoD has placed in our organization."

Notes for Editors

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About 6K

With sustainability at its core, 6K has developed UniMelt®, a proprietary advanced microwave plasma production system, to transform engineered materials into revolutionary products that advance industries across additive manufacturing, renewable energy, aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, and more. 6K represents 6000 degrees, both the temperature of the operation of UniMelt®, the world's only microwave production scale plasma system, and the temperature of the sun's surface. 6K was founded in North Andover, Massachusetts.

The 6K Energy division is focused on the production of low-cost, sustainable, and domestically produced battery material accelerating the pace of battery production and adoption of electric vehicles. The 6K Additive division specializes in sustainably sourced, metal reclamation and powders production, using a proprietary milling and cleaning process that ensures contamination-free, high-quality powders. For more information, visit www.6Kinc.com.

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