IperionX, a US-based producer of titanium powders, has announced two significant developments reinforcing its role in establishing a resilient, domestic critical materials supply chain.

The US Department of War, through its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programme, has obligated the final US$4.6M from a previously awarded US$47.1M package to IperionX. The funding will support scaling titanium powder production to 1.4ktpy at the company’s Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus by mid-2027 and advancing the Titan Critical Minerals Project in Tennessee to “shovel-ready” status, with a definitive feasibility study (DFS) targeted for completion in Q2 2026.

Separately, the US Government has transferred approximately 290t of Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy scrap to IperionX at no cost, equivalent to roughly 1.5 years of feedstock at the current operating rates. Together, the final funding release and scrap transfer signal the US government’s support for developing an integrated domestic titanium metal supply chain, including feedstock source. At present, the USA has no domestic titanium sponge production, save for a small specialist facility aimed at electronics segments. IperionX’s novel titanium powder production process eliminates several steps from the traditional titanium metal production route, with primary or secondary feedstocks directly converted to titanium powders.

In parallel, IperionX has received a prototype purchase order worth US$0.3M from American Rheinmetall to manufacture 700 lightweight titanium components for US Army heavy ground combat systems. The company expects the parts to deliver a 40-45% weight reduction per component, improving vehicle mobility, range, and survivability.

US titanium sponge imports fell by 15% y-o-y to ~34kt in 2025. Japan supplied 81%, Saudi Arabia 12%, and Kazakhstan 4%. This compares with ~40kt in 2024, when Japan accounted for 67%, Saudi Arabia 23%, and Kazakhstan 7%. Falling sponge imports are evidence for a concerted national drive to decrease foreign dependency and expand domestic titanium sourcing through greater use of secondary feedstocks. Government support for IperionX also indicates interest in developing lower cost titanium metal production routes which could open up new applications for titanium use.