IperionX (IPX) has produced the first low-carbon spherical titanium, aluminum, and vanadium alloy powder using titanium minerals from Tennessee as feedstock.

The company applied the low-carbon titanium metal technologies to upgrade the titanium minerals into high grade 99 per cent titanium oxide, and then into a high-quality spherical titanium alloy powder.

Testing confirmed successful production of a spherical powder, showing aluminum and vanadium uniformly distributed within the sample. This met the required industrial specifications, while oxygen content met the necessary grade five specifications.

The low-carbon titanium spherical powder was developed using a range of patented technologies, including medium-grade titanium minerals sourced from IperionX’s Titan project and high-grade titanium feedstock blended with oxides.

The technologies remove the need for the high-cost, high-carbon Kroll process to create titanium sponge, along with bypassing the series of energy intensive titanium melt processes, ingot manufacturing and gas atomisation to produce low carbon and low-cost titanium spherical powders.

“Today’s announcement highlights that these innovative technologies can produce low carbon titanium metal and its alloys directly from domestically sourced titanium minerals from our Titan critical minerals project in Tennessee,” Managing Director and CEO Anastasios Arima said.

“These patented technologies can deliver production of innovative titanium alloys that were not possible with the current melt processes.”

IperionX said it aims to re-shore an all-American low-carbon titanium supply chain that will utilise recycled titanium feedstocks, and titanium minerals from Tennessee. This will be used to produce commercial grade titanium metal and alloys for use in aerospace, electronics, electric vehicle and defence sectors.

IperionX were trading flat at $1 at 1:00 pm AEST.