Materials
Material Technologies
Advances in materials are re-shaping technologies across a wide range of disciplines and PSI contributes to many of these.
Physical Sciences Inc. has decades of experience developing materials and material processing technologies which include:
Coatings
Material coatings are additional layers that provide extra functionality or improve the strength of the substrate. PSI has developed coatings for improving the lifetime of energetic materials, increasing the stability of hydrogen storage systems, and adding anti-microbial properties to medical contact surfaces.
Functional coatings are key elements of a broad range of materials systems including obscurants and chaff, batteries, separation membranes, medical textiles, corrosion inhibition and high temperature protection. We have provided coatings to a range of defense, energy and aerospace organizations.
Areas Include:
Energetics
PSI possesses capability in scaling energetics production from a few mg to the kg scale. We have extensive laboratory space dedicated to organic chemical and energetic synthesis, with attendant bench-top reactors, stir plates and analytical equipment. PSI maintains a micropilot facility capability of continuously producing energetic materials at the hundreds of grams scale. Process development is guided by Aspen Plus Process Simulation Software. We also utilize a broad range of material synthesis technologies including 3D printing and microreactor/microseparator systems.
Areas Include:
Synthesis and Process Scale-Up
The PSI synthesis group occupies a 1,500 ft2 state of the art organic and polymer synthesis laboratory. Fine organic chemicals, including monomers and polymers, can be synthesized and characterized in house on a multi-gram scale. Equipment for the safe synthesis of energetic materials, including protocols, and barriers, are a part of the synthesis lab. PSI maintains a micropilot facility capability of continuously producing energetic materials at the hundred of grams scale, and a pilot scale plant in Sharon, PA that processes a half ton per day of coal ash to recover rare earth elements (REEs).
Areas Include:
PSI staff Prakash Joshi, Mark Allen, David Gamliel and Dorin Preda on-site at the REE Pilot Plant
Markets We Serve
Defense and Security
Ensuring the safety and efficacy of our war-fighters and protecting the homeland
Find out moreMedical and Pharma
Translating new technologies to clinical and industrial applications for improved health care
Find out moreEnergy and Environment
Clean energy technologies and sensors for addressing climate change challenges
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