What Ultramet does

Ultramet is a privately held specialty materials manufacturer founded in 1970 and headquartered in Pacoima, California, operating from a ~77,000 sq ft facility with 51–100 employees. The company specializes in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of refractory metals, platinum group metals, and advanced ceramics, producing components such as iridium/rhenium rocket combustion chambers, reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) foam, carbon-carbon thermal protection systems, and Ultra2000 thermal/environmental barrier coatings. Its products have logged a 100% flight success rate on satellite propulsion chambers since 1998 and have flown on flagship NASA missions including the Parker Solar Probe heat shield.

The company's customer roster is concentrated in US government and federally funded research: NASA, the US Navy, Air Force Research Laboratory, US Space Force, Sandia National Labs, and Cornell University. Ultramet generates revenue through a mix of SBIR/STTR research contracts with NASA, DoD, DOE, and NSF; custom contract manufacturing of flight-qualified hardware; and licensing/IP arrangements. It holds ISO 9001:2015, ITAR, and ANAB accreditations and is founder-controlled under Richard Kaplan.

Beyond its core aerospace and defense work, Ultramet has built a portfolio of adjacent businesses — Ultramet CPT (corrosion-protection products for chemical processing), Tantalum Cellular Products (medical/biomedical), Powdermet Inc. (minority stake, energetic materials), and the Maroney Company (precision machining) — collectively forming a specialty materials ecosystem. Recent moves include joining the Space Force SPAR propulsion institute, expanding into nuclear microreactor components via Sandia, and obtaining ITAR registration in 2024 to access a broader set of defense programs.

Name

Ultramet

Legal name

Ultramet

Website

https://ultramet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ultramet is a private specialty materials manufacturer (founded 1970, Pacoima, CA) that uses chemical vapor deposition to produce refractory metal, platinum group, and ceramic components for NASA, DoD, and national-laboratory customers in aerospace, defense, and adjacent verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Materials Manufacturing

NAICS

Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281), Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3329), Clay Building Material and Refractories Manufacturing (327120)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490), Miscellaneous Primary Metal Products (3390), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors) (HDAHAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Deposition Precursors (CVD/ALD Precursors, Metalorganics) (IMAEAKAG)

Keywords

• Chemical vapor deposition
• Ceramic matrix composites
• Refractory metal coatings
• High temperature materials
• Rocket propulsion components

Headquarters

HQ city

Pacoima

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Advanced Materials Manufacturing: Ultramet manufactures advanced materials products including high-performance thrust chambers for satellite propulsion systems, ceramic matrix composites, refractory metal coatings and structures, open-cell foams for various applications, and catalysts. They manufacture or license components with commitment to quality and reproducibility.
2. Technology Licensing: Ultramet develops licensed technology and products from government-funded research that have led to commercial investment and ongoing direct sales. They license their manufacturing processes and technologies to partners.
3. Government R&D Contracts: Since 1983, Ultramet has participated in R&D funded through Department of Defense, NASA, Department of Energy, and National Science Foundation. Work under government support has developed licensed technology and products leading to commercial investment.
4. RVC Foam Product Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of Reticulated Vitreous Carbon foam panels and samples through their online shop. Products include foam panels in various sizes (6x6, 12x12 inches) and combo packs, priced at $99-$298 per unit.
5. Spinoff Company Revenue: Revenue from spin-off companies including Ultramet CPT (corrosion protection technologies with tantalum coatings) and Tantalum Cellular Products (medical applications of open-cell foam). Ultramet holds equity position in Powdermet Inc.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ultramet engineers, develops, and manufactures refractory metals, platinum group metals, and ceramics for demanding applications. The company uses proprietary chemical vapor deposition (CVD), ultraviolet-activated CVD (UVCVD), and melt infiltration processes to produce ceramic matrix composites, refractory metal coatings and freestanding structures, refractory open-cell foams, ceramic protective coatings, fiber interface coatings, and high-temperature propulsion system components for extreme environment applications.

Product overview

Ultramet is a materials science and engineering company specializing in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and melt infiltration manufacturing processes for advanced refractory materials. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected products centered on its core CVD technology platform, including ceramic matrix composites, ceramic protective coatings, refractory metal coatings and freestanding structures, fiber interface coatings, and refractory open-cell foams. These products are used in extreme environment applications including aerospace propulsion (liquid and solid rocket engines), thermal protection systems, energy (nuclear microreactors), medical devices, and industrial chemical processing. The company's proprietary melt infiltration process for CMCs and UVCVD for low-temperature fiber coatings differentiate its manufacturing capabilities. Key products include iridium/rhenium combustion chambers (the company's flagship product with 100% flight success rate), Ultra2000 layered HfC/SiC protective coatings, RVC foam for thermal insulation, and various catalysis systems for rocket engine ignition and emissions reduction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ultramet CPT: Corrosion protection technologies division providing tantalum coatings for hot acid environments
• Tantalum Cellular Products (TCP), LLC
• Maroney Company, LLC

Products and services

• Catalysis Advanced catalysts and catalyst supports fabricated for demanding environments requiring high temperature capability, including rocket engine ignition, turbine engine emissions reduction, and environmental air/water cleanup applications.
• Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) High-temperature oxidation-stable ceramic matrix composites fabricated through proprietary melt infiltration process, providing enhanced toughness relative to monolithic ceramics for propulsion and thermal management systems.
• Ceramic Protective Coatings Protective coatings applied to carbon/carbon composites, ceramic matrix composites, graphite, refractory metals, and superalloys for operation in severe high-temperature environments, including refractory carbides, layered HfC/SiC, refractory oxides, and high-reflectivity coatings.
• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Core manufacturing technology using chemical reactions of gaseous precursors at heated substrates to produce fully dense deposits of refractory metals and ceramics as thin coatings or freestanding thick-walled structures, including CVI, UVCVD, and inside-out processing variations.
• Fiber Interface Coatings Interface coatings for fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite systems, deposited by ultraviolet-activated chemical vapor deposition (UVCVD) in single or multiple layers of oxides, nitrides, and carbides.
• Propulsion System Components High-temperature propulsion system components including liquid rocket engines (iridium/rhenium and oxide-iridium/rhenium combustion chambers), solid rocket engine chambers and throats, ceramic matrix composite chambers, and advanced propulsion concepts for solar and nuclear thermal propulsion.
• Refractory Metal Coatings & Freestanding Structures Refractory metal coatings and freestanding structures of tungsten, rhenium, tantalum, molybdenum, and niobium fabricated by CVD, including microtubing, thermocouple sheaths, crucibles, flange attachments, and platinum group metal products.
• Refractory Open-Cell Foams Open-cell low density materials including reticulated vitreous carbon foam, ceramic foams (silicon carbide, silicon nitride), and metal foams for aerospace, thermal management, insulation, catalyst supports, fuel injectors, noise reduction, heat sinks, and medical applications.
• Rhenium Raw Material High-purity rhenium powder and pellets (>99.98% metal content) for alloying additives, catalysts, powder metallurgy, chemical vapor deposition, and plasma spray applications.
• Thermal Protection System Thermal protection systems including carbon foam-based heat shields, demonstrated in NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission, capable of withstanding extreme heat in space and aerospace applications.
• Reticulated Vitreous Carbon (RVC) Foam Patented 97% open porosity carbon foam with extremely low density (0.045 g/cc), high surface area, thermal insulation, and electrical conductivity, used in aerospace, medical, and industrial applications; available for direct purchase in 6x6 and 12x12 inch panels via online shop.
• Iridium/Rhenium Combustion Chambers Ultramet's flagship rocket engine product operating at temperatures up to 3992°F (2200°C), providing 10-20 second increase in specific impulse over conventional chamber materials, with 100% flight success rate since 1998; primarily used for geosynchronous orbit satellite insertion.
• Nuclear Microreactor Components Heat exchangers and structural components for nuclear microreactor development, including tungsten foam-filled tungsten tube heat exchangers tested at Sandia Plasma Materials Test Facility for Department of Energy nuclear reactor programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% flight success rate for iridium/rhenium combustion chambers since 1998, with ~10 chambers sold per year for satellite missions
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ultramet CPTcoreOthers · 1 January 2014Spin-off company formed in 2014 to produce tantalum surfaces for the corrosion industry using chemical vapor deposition. Provides corrosion protection for hot acid environments through tantalum coatings on stainless steels and superalloys.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on multiple SBIR/STTR programs for advanced materials including fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites, high-temperature thruster materials, turbine blades, and structural foams. Ultramet supplied carbon foam for Parker Solar Probe heat shield. NASA has featured multiple Ultramet programs among SBIR/STTR Success Stories.
• U.S. NavycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUltramet manufactured rhenium components for the solid divert and attitude control system of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) for over a decade. SM-3 successfully used in 2008 to intercept broken spy satellite.
• Tantalum Cellular Products (TCP), LLCminorOthersSeparately held company promoting open-cell foam for medical applications. Extends Ultramet's foam technology into biomedical device markets including orthopedic implants.
• Powdermet IncminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparately held company providing coated nanopowders and other nanotechnologies. Ultramet holds small equity position with no controlling interest. Represents potential technology integration partner.
• Maroney Company, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdded-value platform providing precision EDM and CNC machining capabilities. Supports Ultramet's manufacturing operations with precision machining services for components requiring tight tolerances.
• Cornell UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUltramet fabricated seamless CVD niobium 3-GHz SRF (superconducting radiofrequency) cavities for testing at Cornell. Collaboration on advanced materials for accelerator applications.
• Sandia National LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOE-funded collaboration on nuclear reactor component development. Ultramet fabricated tungsten foam-filled tungsten tube heat exchangers tested at Sandia Plasma Materials Test Facility, achieving world-record heat flux of 22.36 MW/m² for helium-cooled refractory device.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Surmet Corporation: Surmet is a direct peer applying CVD and other deposition techniques to ceramic coatings (e.g., aluminum oxynitride, spinel) for defense, aerospace, optical and electronics applications, sharing Ultramet's specialty coating/CVD process platform and customer base.
• Plasma Processes Inc. Plasma Processes Inc. is a direct peer providing CVD coatings of refractory metals (W, Re, Ir, Ta, Nb) onto complex geometries for aerospace propulsion and energy applications — a closely comparable capability to Ultramet's CVD refractory metal coating and free-standing structure offering.
• Mersen (formerly H.C. Starck): Mersen, including the legacy H.C. Starck refractory metals business, is a direct peer producing tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium and tantalum semi-finished products and components for aerospace propulsion, semiconductor and chemical processing — overlapping Ultramet's CVD refractory metal product line.
• Plansee Group: Plansee is a direct peer manufacturing refractory-metal (W, Mo, Ta, Re, Nb) products via powder metallurgy and related processes for aerospace, defense and industrial furnace customers — directly comparable to Ultramet's CVD rhenium, iridium, tantalum and tungsten component business.
• Materion Corporation: Materion is a direct peer producing high-purity refractory and precious metals, beryllium products, and specialty coatings for aerospace, defense, semiconductor and energy customers — closely overlapping Ultramet's CVD-deposited refractory components and platinum group metal offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Kennametal Inc. Kennametal is a broader incumbent producing tungsten carbide, refractory-metal-based wear parts, and engineered components across industrial markets; it overlaps with Ultramet's refractory-metal coatings and structures but is far more diversified outside aerospace/defense.
• CoorsTek (CMC / specialty ceramics): CoorsTek is a broad incumbent in technical ceramics producing ceramic matrix composites and refractory components for aerospace, defense and semiconductor customers, comparable in end markets though broader in product portfolio than Ultramet's CMC focus.
• General Atomics (specialty materials): General Atomics' specialty materials division manufactures advanced ceramics, refractory metals and carbon composites (including C/C and CMC hardware) for defense, aerospace and energy customers; it shares Ultramet's extreme-environment applications and government customer base.
• Oerlikon (Surface Solutions / Balzers): Oerlikon Surface Solutions is a broad incumbent PVD/CVD coating service provider serving aerospace, automotive and industrial markets — overlapping Ultramet's deposition coating capability at a much larger scale and broader market coverage.

Emerging players

• Starfire Energy / Powdermet Inc. Powdermet Inc. is an emerging player in coated nanopowders and nanoengineered materials in which Ultramet holds a minority equity stake; it represents an adjacent technology ecosystem and potential technology integration partner for Ultramet's CVD/foam platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ultramet-inc-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ultramet