MONTREAL, Oct. 7, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - 5N Plus Inc. ("5N Plus" or "the Company"), a leading producer of specialty chemicals and engineered materials, announced today that it has entered the Additive Manufacturing ("AM") market, (commonly referred to as 3D Printing), as the supplier of high-performance engineered powders and have begun to launch a broad portfolio of metal powder products to support this ambition. From 2006 to 2016, the AM industry grew annually by an estimated 20%, accelerating to 25% over the subsequent three years. In 2019, the global market for powders associated with metal AM applications was in excess of $400 million and is projected to reach $1.2 billion by 2025. The aerospace, medical, dental and automotive industries are expected to substantially benefit from solutions made possible by metal AM technologies. The ability to cost-effectively produce complex and high-performing components is a notable driver for solutions based on Additive Manufacturing.

5N Plus began its engineered powder activities in 2014 and has continued to invest in process technologies.  As a new entrant to the market, 5N Plus elected to initially focus on the technologically challenging and smaller markets within micro-electronics and semiconductor applications. This allowed the Company to acquire the necessary experience and the invaluable learning required, before further expanding.  Over the past three years, the Company has invested on enlarging its product portfolio of high-performance spherical powders with low oxygen content and uniform size distributions and have recently secured a number of programs within hand-held electronic device platforms with marquee customers. The core competencies developed over these years are now being deployed to substantially enlarge 5N Plus' addressable market and expand into the rapidly growing Additive Manufacturing market. The Company's aim is to be a leading engineered powder supplier to the AM Industry.  5N Plus intends to realize this goal through both organic and external actions.

5N Plus recently launched a new portfolio of engineered powders utilizing proprietary process technologies based on copper and copper-based alloys targeting Additive Manufacturing applications. These engineered materials leverage optimized morphology, controlled oxygen content, ultra-high purity, surface oxide thickness uniformity and controlled particle size distribution to deliver optimal performance, as demonstrated in customer applications. 5N Plus is also utilizing external means to gain access to additional high-performance engineered powders, specifically in areas not covered by its organic product portfolio.  Between the Company's internal developments and products currently under acquisition, 5N Plus' portfolio of engineered powders is expected to span across two dozen different metal alloy compositions, with melting points ranging from 60°C to well over 2600°C.  Such broad portfolio is unmatched in the industry.

Developing Partnerships to Utilize Copper-Based Coatings in Antiviral Applications & Nuclear Waste Isolation Programs

Cold Spray ("CS") is an Additive Manufacturing technology that offers unique advantages in the cost-effective manufacturing of large components, rectification of existing parts and restoration of structural reinforcements.  In recent years, Canada has emerged as a world leader in CS technologies, and 5N Plus has been co-developing engineered powders with leading stakeholders.  As an example, 5N Plus is collaborating with McGill University researchers to engineer and test powders based on copper alloys.  When used as cost-effective anti-viral coatings on high-touch, small and large surfaces; these materials, are expected to significantly reduce the rate of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) transmission (Refer to: McGill University Press Release - September 17, 2020).  In addition, 5N Plus is collaborating with key industrial partners to develop tailor-made, cost-effective solutions based on CS application of copper alloys, to provide sustainable and safe isolation of nuclear waste over prolonged periods.

About 5N Plus Inc.
5N Plus is a leading global producer of engineered materials and specialty chemicals with integrated recycling and refining assets to manage the sustainability of its business model. The Company is headquartered in Montreal, Québec, Canada and operates R&D, manufacturing and commercial centers in several locations in Europe, the Americas and Asia. 5N Plus deploys a range of proprietary and proven technologies to manufacture products which are used as enabling precursors by its customers in a number of advanced electronics, optoelectronics, pharmaceutical, health, renewable energy and industrial applications. Many of the materials produced by 5N Plus are critical for the functionality and performance of the products and systems produced by its customers, many of whom are leaders within their industry.

Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimer
Certain statements in this press release may be forward-looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information and statements are based on the best estimates available to the Company at the time and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. A description of the risks affecting the Company's business and activities appears under the heading "Risk and Uncertainties" of the 5N Plus' 2019 MD&A dated February 25, 2020 and note 10 of the unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the three and six-month periods ended periods ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 available on www.sedar.com. 

The Company is not aware of any significant changes to its risk factors previously disclosed, however since January 2020, the gradual outbreak of the novel strain of the coronavirus, COVID-19 and its declaration as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, has resulted in governments worldwide enacting emergency measures to combat the spread of the virus. These measures have caused material disruption to businesses globally resulting in an economic slowdown. While the Company has been able to mitigate the short-term impact from the crisis without significant loss of production capacity and customer demand, it is not possible to reliably estimate the length, severity and long-term impact the global pandemic may have on the Company's financial results, conditions and cash flows. The outbreak of the COVID-19 should be considered a new risk factor.

Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of terms such as "may", "should", "would", "believe", "expect", the negative of these terms, variations of them or any similar terms. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information in this press release will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that 5N Plus will derive therefrom. In particular, no assurance can be given as to the future financial performance of 5N Plus. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof and the Company has no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws. The reader is warned against placing undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE 5N Plus Inc.

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