Elmet Technologies, the Lewiston, Maine-based subsidiary of The Elmet Group Co. has received $4.3 million in strategic funding tied to a contract from the United States Department of War. The award is intended to grow the company’s ability to produce molybdenum-based products and other refractory metal components destined for defense applications, with a particular emphasis on interceptor systems. Elmet describes itself as the only vertically integrated tungsten and molybdenum manufacturer under full U.S. ownership.
Where the Money Goes
The funding is earmarked for a series of upgrades across Elmet’s production operations. Planned investments cover precision machining, automation, and additive manufacturing, along with material feeding, post-processing, finishing, and inspection equipment. The stated goals are twofold: raise production throughput and improve the performance of precision components destined for mission-critical platforms.
Beyond equipment, the program is designed to build redundancy and readiness into the domestic manufacturing base, positioning the company to meet anticipated long-term demand for refractory parts used in modern interceptor programs.
“This award directly supports our mission of securing the critical materials and components supply chain in the U.S.,” said Derek Fox, President of Elmet Technologies, the Critical Materials Components division of The Elmet Group. “We expect that it will enable us to expand capacity and deploy advanced manufacturing technologies in support of our nation’s critical defense initiatives, several of which depend on molybdenum-based components as a foundation. Elmet is honored to serve as a provider within that foundation.”
Closing the Gap in U.S. Critical Materials
Elmet’s strategy targets a structural vulnerability: the United States depends heavily on foreign sources for refractory metals such as tungsten and molybdenum, materials prized for extreme heat resistance and central to missile, interceptor, and hypersonic programs. By positioning itself as a fully domestic, vertically integrated producer, Elmet aims to capture government funding directed at onshoring this supply chain while embedding itself as a foundational supplier to defense primes.
The award fits a wider federal pattern. 6K Additive received a roughly $2 million Phase II contract to convert scrap from U.S. military depots into high-grade powders of nickel, titanium, tungsten, and niobium, materials chosen precisely because they are partly or wholly imported, with China dominating global tungsten supply.
Similar initiatives include IperionX’s contract worth up to $47.1 million to build an end-to-end domestic titanium chain, and Amaero’s installation of new atomizers to produce molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, and zirconium powders at scale for U.S. defense platforms.
The momentum extends beyond individual contracts. In 3D Printing Industry’s 2026 expert forecasts, observers described military branches prioritizing refractory metals for hypersonic applications, alongside a strict domestic sourcing mandate that is reshaping the supply chain.
Elmet’s $4.3 million award is one piece of a coordinated federal effort to rebuild domestic capacity in critical metals. The direction is clear: defense programs increasingly require U.S.-made refractory components, and funding is following.
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Featured image shows Elmet Technologies Lands $4.3M Defense Award. Image via Elmet Technologies
