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NexTech Materials offers coating technology to enhance the lifetime of stainless steel interconnects in SOFC stacks. Coordinating with your technical team, NexTech can provide high-value coating suspensions for your specific component design and process technology.
NexTech’s core technology has been developed and evaluated on components as large 160 cm2 and including in stack tests at the 1 kW scale. Leveraging technology licensed from Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited*, NexTech’s coating materials incorporate our expertise in materials synthesis, design and process development to protect high Cr ferritic steel foils as well as high Cr alloys. The coating has been demonstrated to reduce Cr diffusion from the steel and reduce interconnect contact resistance.
Coating Products and Technology Transfer Roadmap:
Coating Assessment: NexTech’s team can provide immediate technical assistance in the evaluation and adoption of our coating technology for client applications. Test coupons of materials are available to select customers. Contact our representatives today to begin the evaluation process.
Client Prototyping: Upon execution of a licensing agreement, NexTech’s Commercial Services team will:
- Coordinate with clients to understand process specifications and requirements
- Align demonstrated processes with client-specific manufacturing protocols
- Provide prototype parts for performance validation (sizes up to 20 by 40 cm)
Working with client-provided interconnects, NexTech will aerosol deposit coatings on the components. These prototypes allow clients to perform full scale assessments of interconnect or short stack performance. For customers considering aerosol deposition, NexTech will provide equipment specifications and process recommendations to hasten technology transfer.
Process Specification: For techniques other than aerosol deposition, our team will work with clients to assure that coating properties and performance are specified and confirmed to meet client needs. NexTech will tailor coating materials’ solid content, viscosity, drying time and solvent mix to meet customer deposition process requirements. Contact NexTech for more information on these services.
Continuing Supply: In this stage of the roadmap, NexTech will coordinate client transition to recurring order of materials, components or value added products. Clients can select products from throughout the value map, from coating concentrates to coating services to coated parts. NexTech’s team will assist in developing the specification, volume and cost projections for the selected product, as well a schedule of deliveries. NexTech can provide materials under a number of supply contracts, for developmental or production scale quantities. All product supply agreements provide customers the license to use coating products in their stack manufacturing processes.
*(US patent number 5942349; Australia 704511; NZ 303092; EP 0815607; Japan 3712733)
Coating Products Terms Sheet
Stage I: Coating Assessment. Client will meet with NexTech executives to discuss commercial and technical opportunity. This discussion can be non-proprietary, or performed under an NDA, per client request. Client will receive presentation of NexTech’s IR&D results for representative materials and operating conditions. Client performance requirements, process specifications, the timeline for evaluation, and client adoption criteria will be outlined. Based on these discussions, NexTech will propose a technology evaluation timeline and activities. NexTech can provide 2.5 x 2.5 cm coated coupons for performance assessment. No Charge.
Stage II: Client Prototyping. Based on client input and technology activities proposed in Stage I, NexTech will demonstrate its aerosol deposition and firing coating technology at NexTech using client-supplied interconnect components, which can be witnessed by client engineers. Unique or novel support materials may require iterative evaluations and on-site evaluations. Client will receive a prototype set of interconnects (up to a total of 2400 cm2 area) for preliminary stack evaluations. This level of commitment provides the customer limited license to NexTech’s coating technology and materials. Additional iterations of interconnect components may be purchased a la carte at the conclusion of this effort. Contact NexTech.
Stage IIa: Process Specification (Optional). For clients interested in coating processes other than aerosol spray deposition and firing, NexTech will perform process refinement to accelerate demonstration and validate performance. Our team of materials scientists and engineers can assist in identifying appropriate materials selection, specify coating suspension physical properties (solids loading, viscosity, solvent selection, drying time, etc.), and demonstrate the coating performance in contrast to our standard aerosol deposition process. Contact NexTech.
Stage III: Continuing Supply: Based on client preference in product format, demand and timeline, NexTech will provide a sales agreement for annual supply of products. Materials specification, release timeline (i.e., monthly, quarterly, semi-annually) and increments (25 kg solids basis minimum) will be documented. A la carte pricing will also provided for smaller (< 100 kg per year) volumes. All supply agreements include continuing license to NexTech’s technology portfolio in the area of IC coatings Pro Rated to Customer Volume Commitment. |
