PRODUCING PRIMARY METALS FOCUSED ON TITANIUM

A NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CENTER, HOUSING 3D TITANIUM PRINTING MACHINES, WILL SERVE AS A HUB TO ADVANCE METALLURGICAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR PRODUCING PRIMARY METALS FOCUSED ON TITANIUM.

The lab is an extension of an earlier 10-year research agreement between the Department of Materials Science & Engineering and IperionX.

The Titanium Additive Manufacturing Research Center creates new opportunities for U students to gain hands-on experience with cuttingedge materials science and engineering technologies. The partnership aims to inspire the next generation of innovators, equipping them with the skills and experience needed to pioneer breakthroughs in sustainable metal production and processing.

"This new lab represents the tangible fruits of our partnership with IperionX and underscores our shared commitment to developing transformative solutions for the energy and transportation sectors," says Metallurgical Engineering's Zak Fang, principal investigator of the U’s powder metallurgy research team and lead researcher on the project. “By combining our academic expertise in materials science and engineering with IperionX's industry know-how and resources, we are poised to make significant strides in areas like additive manufacturing of titanium alloys and recycling of critical minerals."

IperionX’s role as a leader in sustainable titanium production is a key component of this collaborative research effort. The North Carolina based company has patented technologies aimed at recycling the valuable metal at a lower cost and with reduced environmental impact compared to traditional methods.

“It all started here at the University of Utah,” says IperionX CEO Taso Arima, “with Dr. Fang’s innovation and his vision for manufacturing and reshoring low-cost, high performance titanium metal in America. …[T]his is what drives innovation for the critical technologies needed for the US and society as a whole.”

"This academic-industry partnership … exemplifies the College of Science’s innovative bench-to-application research to meet the needs of our energy future," says Dean Peter Trapa. "By supporting research that addresses real-world challenges, we are cultivating the next generation of scientific leaders and driving economic growth in Utah."

Joint efforts with industry partners have been part of the U's remarkable research growth over the past decade. In fiscal year 2023, university research funding reached a landmark $768 million, nearly doubling its support in the last 10 years and working towards a goal of $1 billion in research funding. <