- 01GenX validates continuous Ti at VA plant.
- 02500+ kg in 41 h (~12 kg/h); O2 specs met.
- 036x throughput vs HAMR; power -75%; Mg -45%; H2 -60%/kg Ti.
IperionX (ASX: IPX) has validated continuous titanium production through the first four campaigns of its GenX platform at the company’s commercial-scale facility in Virginia.
The campaigns processed more than 500 kilograms of titanium powder across 41 hours of continuous operation at an average rate of about 12kg per hour, with all valid samples meeting the relevant oxygen specification.
On a like-for-like run-time basis, GenX delivered six times the throughput of IperionX’s batch HAMR system, while cutting power consumption by more than 75%, magnesium use by more than 45%, and hydrogen use by more than 60% per kg of titanium powder.
IperionX considers the results a pathway towards higher throughput, lower unit costs, and a modular expansion model as it moves continuous processing towards industrial-scale development.
Product Quality Tests
The four campaigns comprised two angular powder runs lasting a combined 18 hours and two spherical powder runs lasting 23 hours, with material from each campaign sampled for oxygen analysis.
Seven valid angular powder samples recorded product oxygen levels between 0.104% and 0.144%, all meeting the 0.200% Grade 5 limit, while four also met the more stringent 0.130% Grade 23 limit.
One angular sample from an interrupted furnace run did not complete the HAMR cycle and was excluded from the validation assessment, with IperionX expecting minor process refinements to enable angular powder to meet Grade 23 consistently.
All eight spherical powder samples met the Grade 23 oxygen limit, recording product oxygen between 0.072% and 0.084% with an average of 0.078%.
Continuous Process Input Cuts
IperionX’s patented HAMR process produces low-oxygen titanium powder using a hydrogen-enabled, low-temperature method, while GenX applies the process continuously rather than through repeated furnace heating, cooling, loading and unloading cycles.
Lower magnesium use also reduces the by-product requiring downstream leaching and handling, which IperionX plans to evaluate and quantify through further production campaigns.
Continuous operation is expected to improve equipment utilisation and eliminate ancillary processing steps, while operating data indicates potential for lower installed capital intensity and lower labour unit costs.
“Achieving continuous primary titanium production has long been the ultimate aspiration for the titanium industry, [and] these first results exceeded our expectations,” chief executive officer Taso Arima said.
“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.”
Engineering Moves Toward Scale
During the fourth quarter of 2026, IperionX plans to continue optimising the GenX furnace and integrate it into a full titanium powder production line.
The company will also undertake technoeconomic and engineering evaluation for the first industrial-scale GenX production line as it develops the platform towards higher-capacity deployment.
GenX is not required for IperionX’s existing 200 tonnes per annum production ramp or planned Virginia expansions, but is being developed as a higher-capacity and potentially lower-cost platform for subsequent growth.
The GenX work also complements IperionX’s development of continuous processing for finished titanium components, supporting a broader pathway from continuous titanium powder production to finished products.
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