IperionX has secured a $US300,000 ($443,711) prototype order from American Rheinmetall to produce 700 lightweight titanium components for US Army heavy ground combat vehicles. IperionX is focused on scaling up production using low-carbon intensity methods that are lower in cost. The company is currently the only domestic US producer of commercial-scale primary titanium, a material designated as strategic and critical by the US government.
The components will be manufactured in the US using 100 per cent recycled titanium feedstock and the company’s patented technologies. These technologies reduce production costs when compared with conventional titanium methods. IperionX’s technologies offer innovative pathways to produce titanium products that are fully recyclable.
Replacing steel parts with titanium is expected to cut component weight by 40-45 per cent, saving several hundred kilograms per vehicle. This weight reduction is expected to improve acceleration, agility, operational range, survivability, and traction on soft terrain.
The order supports US priorities to reshore critical materials supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign titanium, and expand domestic manufacturing using recycled feedstocks. If the initial prototype delivery meets requirements, it could lead to a significantly larger agreement.
