ADVANCED ENERGY MINERALS LTD (ASX:AEM) has entered a cooperation agreement with Swiss precision manufacturer Zürcher Frères SA (ZFS) after laboratory testing showed AEM’s nano-particle high-purity alumina materially improved the performance of zirconia-alumina ceramics.
Under the agreement, AEM will become the exclusive supplier of nano-particle HPA used by ZFS in the production of its zirconia-alumina ceramics, creating a pathway to commercialise the material across medical, industrial and advanced manufacturing markets.
AEM and ZFS have been collaborating since late 2024 to develop improved zirconia-alumina ceramics, including Alumina-Toughened Zirconia and Zirconia-Toughened Alumina.
Laboratory testing found AEM’s application-specific nano HPA delivered significant gains in hardness and fracture toughness, with ZFS describing the resulting performance as “outstanding”.
AEM managing director and chief executive Michael Adams said the results demonstrated the potential of the company’s material in advanced ceramic applications.
“Our nano particle HPA has shown itself to be a real winner in these kinds of advanced ceramics applications. The improvement in mechanical performance compared to current suppliers is significant,” Adams said.
“It opens an exciting opportunity for AEM and Zürcher Frères to offer a performance-leading material to Zürcher Frères’s current customers in advanced manufacturing.”
Medical and industrial applications targeted
The companies are evaluating a range of potential uses, including orthopaedic and dental implants, medical device components, cutting tools, ball bearings and ballistic protection.
Zirconia-alumina ceramics are valued for their strength, wear resistance and toughness. Alumina-Toughened Zirconia is commonly used in medical implants and dental prosthetics, while Zirconia-Toughened Alumina is used in pump and valve components, mechanical seals, bearings and industrial cutting tools.
The estimated global market for the two ceramic materials is around 3,000 tonnes per annum across medical, manufacturing and industrial applications.
ZFS is a family-owned Swiss precision manufacturer with more than 69 years of experience in powder metallurgy and advanced materials. The company produces components for the Swiss watchmaking industry and works with materials including tungsten, titanium and technical ceramics.
About Advanced Engineered Materials
Advanced Engineered Materials produces high-purity alumina at its Cap-Chat facility in Quebec, Canada.
The plant currently has nameplate capacity of 2,000 tonnes per annum and is moving toward 3,000 tonnes in 2026 under its Stage 1 expansion. A further Stage 2 expansion is planned to lift capacity to 6,000 tonnes per annum from 2029.
At the 3,000-tonne production rate, AEM expects Cap-Chat to become the third-largest HPA production asset outside China, while positioning the company as a lower-cost supplier of high-purity, ESG-compliant material.