GKN Aerospace, IperionX partner on sustainable titanium manufacturing

IperionX Ltd. has agreed to an order with GKN Aerospace for the delivery of titanium plate test components manufactured with IperionX’s advanced titanium technologies.

GKN Aerospace manufactures complex titanium components for civil aerospace, space, and military markets, including the Airbus A320/A330, Boeing B777/B787, Lockheed Martin F-16 and F-35 Lightning, and the Ariane 6 rocket engine.

The collaboration with GKN Aerospace builds on the successful testing and validation of IperionX 100% recycled titanium powder made from GKN scrap titanium feedstocks. This latest commercial partnership focuses on the manufacturing of high-performance titanium plate for testing by GKN Aerospace, which may also form part of further collaboration efforts between GKN Aerospace and IperionX – including projects linked to the U.S. Department of Defense.

GKN Aerospace’s titanium plate components will be manufactured with IperionX’s advanced titanium angular powder and powder metallurgy techniques.

To deliver titanium components with higher performance and durability, IperionX will employ its patented Hydrogen Sintering and Phase Transformation (HSPT) technologies, a process to enhance the microstructure of titanium to deliver strength and fatigue properties comparable to wrought titanium alloys.

The HSPT process uses low-cost titanium powder metallurgy techniques to produce high performance titanium alloys with wrought-like microstructures and mechanical properties. The HSPT process can produce titanium alloy with strength and ductility well beyond the ASTM standards for wrought Ti-6Al-4V. These material properties can be enhanced with heat treatments to increase strength to over 1,100MPa or with ductility beyond 20% EL. IperionX has exclusive rights over HSPT and a range of other award-winning titanium technologies.

IperionX offers a range of high-performance titanium powder and products that can be tailored to meet the exacting demands of the aerospace, defense, space, hydrogen, automotive, and consumer electronics sectors. These advanced manufacturing capabilities include traditional titanium plate, bar, and rod products and high-performance near-net-shape titanium components to improve manufacturing productivity and sustainability.

Prized for its high strength-to-weight ratio and its resistance to high temperatures and corrosion, titanium has been mass produced since the 1940s using the Kroll Process. Titanium produced from the Kroll Process is energy and cost-intensive and produces high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

IperionX’s patented titanium production and manufacturing technologies can produce high-strength titanium products, with lower energy and costs, and at zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

The United States has limited domestic primary titanium metal production capacity, and the U.S. currently imports over 95% of the primary titanium metal required for its advanced industries. IperionX intends to re-shore titanium mineral and metal production in the U.S., reduce the acute reliance on primary titanium imports from foreign nations, and strengthen the supply chain with lower cost and more sustainable titanium products.

“GKN Aerospace is a leader in sustainability and the precision manufacturing of titanium components for the aerospace, space, and military markets,” said Taso Arima, CEO of IperionX. “We are very proud to be working with GKN Aerospace to commercialize our high-performance and sustainable titanium products.”