For Immediate Release
Halo Materials Awarded AFWERX Contract to Characterize and Incorporate Graphitic Products into Advanced Materials
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Halo Materials, Inc. (Halo) today announced it has been selected by AFWERX for an STTR Phase I contract in the amount of $109,158 focused on identifying how graphitic nanomaterials can enhance the properties and lower the costs of advanced materials used by the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small-business experience through faster proposal-to-award timelines, expanding opportunities to small business, and eliminating bureaucratic overhead through continual process improvement. Halo is pleased to partner with AFWERX on the development of novel enhanced materials that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"Advanced materials such as composites, lubricants, and high-performance batteries are critical to the Air Force's missions in air and space. Incorporating graphitic nanomaterials can enhance thermal, electronic, and mechanical properties — and in some cases actually reduce production times. With Halo's novel production process, these graphitic fillers can be produced at significantly lower cost and expand the potential applications of these advanced materials."
— Darren Hau, CEO and Founder of Halo Materials
About Halo Materials, Inc.
Halo is pioneering a novel way to synthesize high-quality graphite from abundant, domestic hydrocarbon feedstocks for use in batteries and advanced nuclear. This new process unlocks production of industrially-relevant volumes of graphite at significantly lower CapEx and OpEx, which in turn enables pricing competitive with overseas incumbents. Halo's mission is to address the national-security risks of having one country control up to 97% of the supply chain. By reshoring battery- and nuclear-grade graphite production, Halo will help ensure that the trillion-dollar energy transition is American-led. For more information, visit halomaterials.com.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and startups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian, and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites, executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit afwerx.com.