Defense and National Security
Securing Critical Materials for U.S. Readiness
The U.S. government has made clear that reducing reliance on geopolitically sensitive regions-particularly China-for critical materials is essential to national security. 6K Additive is directly aligned with this mission, delivering domestically sourced, high-performance metal powders that strengthen supply chain resilience and ensure readiness across defense and aerospace applications.
Built for Compliance. Designed for Leadership.
6K Additive not only meets government regulations-we are engineered to exceed them. Our proprietary UniMelt® process is compliant with essential regulatory frameworks in the defense sector:
Prohibited Source Mitigation (10 USC §4872), DFAR252.225-7052):
Eliminating dependency on restricted foreign sources by upcycling tungsten, tantalum, and niobium from U.S.-based feedstock, including military depots.
Specialty Metals Compliance (10 U.S.C §4863, DFARS 252.225-7008 and 252.225-7009)
Titanium, nickel and specialty steels are sourced, melted, and produced entirely within the United States-meeting "melted or produced in the U.S." requirements and closing critical supply chain gaps. Contracts and subcontracts to supply specific metals and alloys (specialty steels, titanium, zirconium, cobalt, tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, and others) for use by the U.S. Department of Defense may require sourcing from U.S. and allied sources (DFARS 252.225-7008 and DFARS 252.225-7009) or from sources other than China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (DFARS 252.225-7052).
Built for Compliance. Designed for Leadership.
Next-generation defense platforms from hypersonic systems to autonomous vehicles require materials that deliver unmatched performance, reliability, and scalability. 6K Additive supports:
6K Additive materials are already deployed in high-performance environments where failure is not at option.
Proven in Mission-Critical Applications
The company is actively engaged in advanced defense programs spanning next-generation aircraft components, missile guidance systems, and secure communications technologies.
Here is just some of the companies leveraging 6K Additive's high-performance materials.
Defense
Hypersonics, missile systems, advanced propulsion
Aerospace & Industrial
Rocket engines, gas turbines, infrastructure
Scaling Domestic Capability
Expansion and Capacity Growth
The next phase of national security is scale. Through a combination of Defense Production Act (DPA) funding and internally funded initiatives, 6K Additive is significantly increasing production capacity to meet growing defense demand.
This Includes:
Additional UniMelt® production systems
Expanded feedstock processing capabilities
New ingot melting capacity
Increased refractory metal production
Total powder production capacity is expected to increase more than 5x-from 200 metric tons to over 1,000 metric tons annually. This expansion strengthens America's domestic manufacturing base for critical materials while ensuring long-term supply chain security.
CEO Frank Roberts detailing expansion plans to Congressman Guy Reschenthaler - 14th district, Pennsylvania
Government Funding & Strategic Alignment
Aligned with National Priorities
6K Additive's materials portfolio is directly aligned with the priorities of the nations defense and industrial base that demand secure, domestic, high-performance supply chains. This alignment is reinforced by strong and growing government support:
in Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) programs
Supporting titanium and nickel conversion, and niobium upcycling from U.S. military scrap
Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III grant
Driving expansion in critical titanium and nickel alloy domestic production.
Program
For processing niobium and titanium scrap sourced from U.S. military depots
Phase II Program
Converting domestic scrap (titanium, nickel, tungsten, and niobium) into high-value powder
EXIM Bank low-interest loan
Supporting continued growth and domestic investment