IperionX’s commercial-scale titanium production on schedule
February 14, 2024
IperionX Limited, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, has announced that its titanium furnace has completed final mechanical assembly and successfully passed factory acceptance tests with the IPX technical team. The Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction (HAMR) titanium industrial furnace is now being transported to the US, with anticipated delivery to the Titanium Manufacturing Campus during the first quarter of 2024.
Installation and commissioning of the HAMR titanium furnace is expected during the second quarter before producing the first titanium metal in mid-year 2024.
The application of this conventional furnace technology for titanium production has undergone a comprehensive furnace test work programme. In 2023, the IperionX technical team successfully completed two full-scale titanium production test runs that reportedly surpassed the core target production parameters for the Titanium Production Facility.
Construction progress
Construction of the Titanium Production Facility is advancing to schedule, with the construction of the Advanced Manufacturing Center also on schedule and anticipated to be commissioned during the second quarter of 2024.
Further, IperionX has received the first $2.4 million payment from the $12.7 million US Department of Defense DPA Title III grant to fund Phase I ramp-up of its Virginia Titanium Production Facility, comprising the Titanium Production Facility and the Advanced Manufacturing Center.
This advanced manufacturing unit will utilise angular and spherical titanium powders from the Titanium Production Facility to manufacture a wide range of low-cost and high-performance titanium products using Powder Metallurgy, Hydrogen Sintering & Phase Transformation (HSPT) forging and Additive Manufacturing. It will also leverage CNC machining, post-processing equipment and advanced R&D laboratories to support customer and government engagement.
“IperionX is nearing an important milestone designed to revitalise the US titanium supply chain with a unique end-to-end solution that spans from recycled scrap titanium to high-performance forged titanium products,” stated Anastasios (Taso) Arima, IperionX CEO. “Our patented titanium technologies can produce a wide range of high-performance titanium products – including angular and spherical titanium powders, semi-finished titanium products, near-net titanium shape products and additively manufactured titanium components – with superior energy efficiency, lower costs, and lower environmental impacts.”
“We have a strong pipeline of potential US government funding and incentive programs designed to re-shore and secure critical mineral and metal supply chains. The commissioning of our Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus will be a pivotal step forward, positioning IperionX with an innovative end-to-end titanium supply chain capable of manufacturing high-performance and low-cost titanium products for advanced American industries.”
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