IperionX has successfully delivered and installed its Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic (HAMR™) titanium furnace at its facility in Virginia, the US.
Located at the new Titanium Manufacturing Campus, the furnace – resembling a standard Kroll titanium furnace – enhances lower operating temperatures, increased efficiencies, shorter production cycles and higher product qualities.
The construction and development of the campus is advancing to schedule, whilst the commissioning of the HAMR furnace is scheduled for Q2 2024, along with the first titanium powder expected in mid-2024.
IperionX anticipates a full run rate target capacity of at least 125 tonnes per year by the end of 2024, before scaling up to a full target production capacity of 2,000 tonnes per year in 2026.
The company’s portfolio of patented titanium technologies can manufacture titanium powders, semi-finished titanium products, near-net shape forged titanium products and additively manufactured titanium components.
Throughout the titanium production process, hydrogen is incorporated into the metallothermic process, used to enhance the reactions. In a traditional Kroll process, magnesium is used as the reducing agent to convert titanium tetrachloride into titanium metal.
The North Carolina-based company has not revealed its hydrogen supply source yet.
IperionX’s CEO, Anastasios Arima, claimed the furnace and Virginia facility is a crucial step “to re-shore a full ‘end to end’ titanium supply chain within the US.”
“This furnace has a similar capacity to existing furnaces used in the incumbent industry’s Kroll process, but with far less energy consumption and lower complexity to unlock a range of higher value manufactured titanium products,” added Arima.
“The successful commissioning and production from this furnace is the cornerstone for a transformation of the US titanium industry to manufacture high-performance, low-cost titanium alloys for advanced American industries.”
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