The Challenge

Titanium is a critical mineral valued for its exceptional strength, light weight, and resistance to corrosion (Schulz et al., 2017). It is an essential metal for industries such as aviation, shipbuilding, power generation, and medical implants, where durability and lightweight materials are crucial (Schulz et al., 2017). Titanium dioxide (TiO2), an oxide form of titanium, is widely used in pigments and renewable energy applications due to its photocatalytic properties - its ability to use light to trigger chemical reactions that can, for example, enhance the efficiency of sunlight conversion into electricity in solar panels (TDMA, 2023).

Recognized as both a critical and strategic raw material under the European Union's Critical Raw Materials Act, titanium is vital for key sectors including civil aviation, defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and the green and digital transitions (Joint Research Centre, 2025). Despite its importance, the EU relies heavily on imports of titanium minerals and metal, primarily from countries like China, Russia, and Ukraine, which exposes the supply chain to geopolitical risks, market concentration, and long lead times. These vulnerabilities have led the EU to prioritize circular economy strategies such as increased recycling, diversification of supply sources, and development of secondary raw materials to reduce import dependency and increase supply resilience (Joint Research Centre, 2025).

The extraction and processing of titanium has additional environmental and human health costs. Titanium mining can result in deforestation, habitat loss, and contamination of air and water - especially when waste is improperly managed (Farjana et al., 2018). The overall process is energy- and water-intensive, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbating water scarcity in mining regions.

A Circular Solution

IperionX, a U.S.-based producer of critical minerals and materials, has partnered with European metals recycler Aperam Recycling through its American entity ELG. ELG has longstanding expertise in sourcing and processing titanium, stainless steel, and superalloys, handling over one million metric tonnes of metal annually (Aperam, 2024).

Using University of Utah-developed technology, IperionX can produce competitively priced titanium metal from both mined mineral and scrap. Unlike the industry-standard Kroll process, their method enables 100% scrap usage, making a fully closed-loop circular system possible (IperionX, 2025).

IperionX utilises Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction (HAMR), an energy efficient thermochemical process that can produce either Commercially Pure (CP) or alloyed titanium powders at low cost and with low carbon emissions in a sustainable closed loop (IperionX, 2025). The IperionX Titanium Demonstration Facility has the capacity to produce 125 tonnes of titanium powder per year (Stockhead, 2023) and the company has scale-up plans to achieve a capacity of 1,400 metric tonnes of titanium per year by mid-2027 (Metal AM, 2023).

Climate Impact

Recycling titanium scrap into powder produces over 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional plasma atomisation methods, resulting in a carbon footprint as low as 7.8 kg CO2e per kilogram (IperionX, 2023). By relying on recycled feedstock, IperionX reduces the need for new mining, conserves natural resources, and minimises waste. Additionally, by producing titanium powder domestically, the U.S. can lower transport-related emissions and costs - addressing a major supply chain gap as the nation currently imports all high-quality titanium (Stockhead, 2023). 

Replicability

The titanium market, valued at $2.44 billion in 2023, is set to grow at over 6% annually through 2030, largely due to increased demand from aviation and industrial sectors (Grand View Research). The uptake of circular recycling approaches, like those of IperionX, is likely to accelerate as industries seek lower-carbon and resource-efficient solutions.

European initiatives focusing on titanium recycling and sustainable production include:

• EcoTitanium (France), is a leading European plant specializing in recycling aerospace-grade titanium alloys using advanced furnace technology. The EcoTitanium recycling plant is supported by significant EU investment, and produces thousands of tons of titanium alloy annually while helping to reduce emissions compared to traditional ore-based production. EcoTitanium is currently the main large-scale titanium recycling facility in Europe and aims to strengthen European supply chains and reduce import dependency (EIB, 2018).

  
  

• The EURO-Titan Project is a multi-partner EU-funded project working to establish low-carbon titanium metal production from industrial residues and scraps within Europe. It aims to create traceable, continuous titanium metal production aligned with decarbonization and supply chain resilience goals.