US To Increase Titanium Powder Production To Boost War-fighting Capabilities

In order to reinvigorate its Warfighting capability, the United States will increase its titanium powder production.

The Department of Defense announced it has awarded a contract worth $12.7 million via the Defense Production Act Investment Program to IperionX Technology, LLC, to increase titanium powder production for defense supply chains.

“Robust and resilient defense supply chains are critical to the Warfighting capability of the United States,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. “Domestic titanium production is a top priority for the DoD’s industrial base programs.”

The award is ACAto commission and scale up IperionX’s facility in Virginia to a demonstration plant, increasing the company’s titanium powder production to 125 metric tons (MT) annually. IperionX’s goal is to produce 10,000 MT of titanium metal powder per year within five years. The company produces titanium alloys from either titanium minerals or 100 percent recycled material.

So far this year, the DPAI Program has made 21 awards totaling $674 million. DPAI is overseen by the ASD(IBP)’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Program (MCEIP), in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience.

The increasing automotive production worldwide, especially the focus on the development of new vehicle systems, has boosted the demand for titanium powders. Pure titanium powders are used to make lightweight high-performance aerospace and automotive parts.

Titanium powder market size is projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2032, according to Global Market Insights Inc.’s latest report.

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