Press release: World's strongest aluminum alloy
A Quebec-based startup has filed a patent for a highly resistant aluminum alloy
National Capital, September 12, 2023 – The young Quebec company, Ferreol Technologies, is already making waves internationally as it has developed a new aluminum-scandium alloy, Scalium, qualified as one of the strongest aluminum alloys in the world. The startup filed a patent for this Quebec innovation in late spring 2023 to protect this know-how.
High-strength aluminum is used in various fields such as aerospace, aviation, automotive, and sports equipment due to its excellent mechanical properties. Whether for alpine skis or aircraft fuselages, this type of aluminum enhances product performance and lightness. In the transportation sector, this also translates into reduced energy consumption and, consequently, greenhouse gas emissions.
Ferreol Technologies' new material, Scalium™, is an innovative aluminum-scandium alloy that, in addition to being strong, exhibits good ductility with:
- A yield strength that can exceed 725 MPa,
- An elongation percentage that can reach up to 12%.
Environmentally responsible, this alloy promotes the use of low-carbon Quebec aluminum and incorporates a portion of scandium sourced from the reprocessing of mining residues from Rio Tinto Fer and Titane in Sorel-Tracy. With its extremely high mechanical properties, Scalium™ allows engineers to push product innovation to another level, better addressing today's challenges.
The enthusiasm for Scalium™ is already significant among major ski manufacturers in Europe and North America; they have already signed letters of intent with Ferreol Technologies to acquire it as soon as it becomes available, with the ski industry being the primary target market.
The successful completion of this extensive research and development project was made possible through the collaboration of several partners in the Quebec aluminum ecosystem and the business community, including Rio Tinto, Desjardins, Québécor (asterX), Entrepreneuriat ULaval, the Quebec Research and Development Center for Aluminum (CQRDA), the Quebec Metallurgy Center (CMQ), the National Research Council of Canada (CNRC), and the City of Quebec, to name a few.
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Four years after founding and operating the versatile and more environmentally friendly ski company Ferreol Skis, the three co-founders, Jonathan, Félix, and Etienne, have launched a spin-off under the name Ferreol Technologies. Winner of the 1st prize in the 2023 edition of the Pierre Péladeau Grants, the most prestigious Quebec entrepreneurship competition, the startup aims to support large manufacturing companies in their ecological transition by offering sustainable and high-performance solutions. The idea of launching this second company stems from the business opportunity to market innovations originally developed for Ferreol skis.
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Jonathan Audet
Cofonder and CEO Ferreol Skis
CSO and COO Ferreol Technologies
(581) 995-3172
Jonathan.audet@ferreol.ca