IperionX has received $12.7 million in funding from the Department of Defense to increase titanium powder production for defense supply chains.
The award is part of the DOD’s Defense Production Act Investment — or DPAI — program, which works to invest in critical industries to strengthen the nation’s industrial base, DOD said Monday.
Titanium powder is a key ingredient in the production of titanium alloys, which are used in a wide range of defense applications, including aircraft, spacecraft and missiles. The DOD currently relies on foreign suppliers for a significant portion of its titanium powder, but the DPAI program is working to increase domestic production and reduce reliance on foreign sources.
IperionX is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based company that is developing a new process for producing titanium powder from either titanium minerals or recycled material. The company’s goal is to produce 10,000 metric tons of titanium metal powder per year within five years.
The DOD’s investment in IperionX is expected to help the company commission and scale up its facility in Halifax County, Virginia to a demonstration plant. This will increase the company’s titanium powder production to 125 metric tons annually.
The DPAI program has made 21 awards totaling $674 million so far in 2023. The program is overseen by the ASD(IBP)’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Program, which is part of the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience.
