Nichols Martin
Materials Resources, LLC has agreed to help IperionX qualify the latter’s titanium powder for use in additively manufactured parts of U.S. Navy aircraft.
IperionX said Wednesday its facility in Utah has delivered titanium alloy powders to MRL, which will use the material to 3D print flight-critical aerospace components.
The agreement supports Ohio-based MRL’s existing effort to test titanium spare parts for the Navy, as the country currently does not have commercial production of titanium sponge.
The U.S. fully relies on imported titanium metal following the closure of Timet’s Nevada-based plant in 2020, with China, Russia and Japan being the world’s largest titanium producers.
MRL also holds a $72 million contract with the Air Force to develop and assess new alloys and material processing technologies for use in the aerospace sector.
