Our Story

ThermAl (Pty) Ltd., a South African company, has developed and piloted a cost-effective method of producing aluminium powder through the mechanical pulverization of recycled aluminium, such as used beverage cans.

 

Aluminium powder is a fine granular metal powder produced from aluminium and has uses in a wide range of products, such as minerals beneficiation via a thermite process, the explosive sector, the refractories and foundry industry, paints, 3D printing, aerospace, construction, etc. The global aluminium powder market size is to grow from USD 3.2 billion in 2021 to USD 4.36 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% during the forecast period. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of aluminium powder in the automotive, aerospace, and construction sectors, as well as the rising demand for aluminium powder in emerging markets. In southern Africa, the lack of electricity and the application of aluminium powder to produce metals via a thermite process, is one such growth area. 

  

ThermAl has accumulated an extensive knowledge base to enable leveraging the benefits of using mechanical pulverization over conventional melting and atomization. These benefits include scalability and a lower capital base, a significantly better production yield, lower energy costs, lower labour requirements and lower maintenance costs, which means that the company can produce its powders very competitively.

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We aspire to offer our customers the following:

·         Cost saving,

·         Stable and long-term pricing,

·         Local supply, and “just-in-time”, i.e. reducing the need to import bulk and tying up capital              in stock.

·         Environmentally friendly, i.e. produced from selected recycled aluminium, which will be a                plus for any green initiatives.

·         Modular production that enables rapid ramp-up of capacity, should product demand justify            it.

 

Customer feedback to date suggests that ThermAl’s powders are more reactive than conventional atomised powders, which result in:

·         A significant reduction in additions of aluminium powder to customer’s standard                              formulations, i.e. a further cost saving over and above the anticipated reduced R/kg offer                for aluminium powder.

·         We also find that customers can get away with coarser material which reduces dust and                  risks associated with moisture exposure, i.e. SHE benefits.

 

Our aluminium powder is hydrophobic, which reduces the risk of moisture exposure. 

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Please feel free to contact us for specifications on our powders or to have more detailed discussions on how our powders can be used in your processes.