From super powder to super power: can China plasma mill grind US tech dominance to dust?

New technology may allow the microscopic powders used in advanced weapon systems to be produced on a much larger scale

Modern military supremacy – from stealth jets to hypersonic missiles – hinges on micron-scale “super powders” engineered using precision mills.

A new Chinese facility unveiled last week – described as the largest in the world – may give the country a critical edge in this field.

The mill in the southern province of Guangdong uses new technology that the company behind it said was 10 times more efficient than older methods and allowed for the industrial scale production of these powders.

At first glance, these mills look like crude spinning drums that are loaded with heavy balls made from a range of materials, such as metals, graphite or polymers.

But they are essential precision tools that play a key role in producing the most advanced defence technology, such as the radar-absorbing coating on stealth aircraft made from magnetic iron flakes ground into microscopic slivers.

Jet engine turbine blades are also made from metal powders that are pressed and heated to remove every hidden flaw.