IperionX has validated its GenX™ continuous titanium production platform after completing four production campaigns at its Virginia research and development facility, with the company reporting higher throughput and lower resource consumption than its batch HAMR™ process.
In an ASX announcement, the company said the commercial-scale GenX™ system processed more than 500 kilograms of titanium powder across four continuous runs totalling 41 hours, at an average rate of about 12 kilograms per hour.
IperionX said the results demonstrate the potential for continuous processing to increase throughput and reduce production costs compared with batch operations.
According to IperionX, total throughput was six times that of its batch HAMR™ system on a like-for-like run-time basis, while power consumption was reduced by more than 75%.
The company also reported reductions of more than 45% in magnesium consumption and more than 60% in hydrogen consumption per kilogram of titanium powder.
Testing also examined the oxygen content of the titanium powder produced. IperionX reported that all spherical powder samples met the ASTM Grade 23 oxygen specification, while seven of eight angular powder samples met the Grade 5 limit. Four of the eight angular samples also met the more stringent Grade 23 specification.
The company said one sample from an interrupted furnace run was excluded from the validation assessment because it had not completed the HAMR™ cycle. IperionX said it expects minor process refinements could enable angular powder to meet the Grade 23 oxygen limit.
IperionX CEO Taso Arima said the results provide a basis for further industrial development of the technology.
“Substantially lower magnesium, hydrogen and power consumption at steady state, together with processing throughput increasing by six times, give us a strong basis for industrial development,” Arima said.
IperionX plans to continue operating and optimising the GenX™ furnace during the fourth quarter of 2026, integrate it into a full titanium powder production line and undertake engineering and technoeconomic work for its first industrial-scale GenX™ production line.
The company noted that GenX™ is not required for its existing planned 200-tonne-per-year production ramp or expansions in Virginia, but said the technology could provide a pathway for higher-capacity production.
The content of this article is based on information supplied by IperionX Limited. For more information, please refer to the official company announcement and communications from IperionX. Please consult a licensed and/or registered professional in this area before making any decisions based on the content of this article.
