American titanium manufacturer IperionX has received an additional $25 million from the US Department of War (DoW) to scale its efforts to rebuild a domestic titanium supply chain in the country.
Issued through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, the latest funding lifts total government obligations under the company’s $47.1 million contract to $42.5 million.
Washington’s newest commitment highlights its push to rebuild the nation’s industrial foundations for critical defense materials. Once the remaining $4.6 million is released, IperionX will have nearly completed a two-year funding cycle aimed at transforming U.S. titanium production from raw mineral extraction to advanced metal manufacturing.
Scaling a fully domestic titanium chain
Under the latest phase, IperionX will expand output at its Titanium Manufacturing Campus in Virginia to 1,400 metric tons a year. Having already surpassed 1,000 tons of annual capacity, the site is emerging as the centerpiece of a plan to reestablish large-scale titanium manufacturing within U.S. borders. Earlier investments supported the purchase of long-lead manufacturing equipment and construction of key systems such as sintering and near-net-shape production units.
Complementing the Virginia site is the Titan Critical Minerals Project in Tennessee, which is being developed to provide a steady domestic source of titanium and other strategic materials. Together, these two facilities represent the first integrated mineral-to-metal titanium network in the United States in decades.
IBAS funding is designed to strengthen the defense supply chain by ensuring reliable access to essential materials. Titanium’s strength, heat resistance, and corrosion tolerance make it vital for military aircraft, submarines, armored vehicles, and missile systems. Yet most global supply still originates from China, Japan, and Russia, leaving the United States vulnerable to foreign disruptions.
IperionX aims to change that through its proprietary Hydrogen-Assisted Metallothermic Reduction (HAMR) and Hydrogen Sintering and Phase Transformation (HSPT) technologies. These processes promise a more cost-effective and sustainable way to produce titanium metal, reducing reliance on conventional, energy-intensive methods that depend heavily on imported feedstock.
Since securing the $47.1 million contract in February, IperionX has moved steadily through a series of government obligations. Funding began with $5 million for project preparation, followed by $12.5 million in August for capacity upgrades, and now an additional $25 million to accelerate full-scale production.
Tackling supply chain issues
At the AMUG 2025 Conference, industry leaders highlighted that the AM metals sector is struggling with fragmented, immature supply chains that can’t yet keep pace with its rapid technical progress. Building resilience will depend on domestic sourcing, shared data standards, and closer collaboration across industry and government to replace today’s makeshift networks with coordinated, scalable infrastructure.
Last month, metal 3D printer maker Velo3D and Linde AMT finalized an agreement to establish a fully U.S.-based supply chain for copper-nickel components used by the U.S. Navy and the Maritime Industrial Base Program. The partnership combines Linde AMT’s expanded powder production facility in Indiana with Velo3D’s Sapphire XC large-format 3D printer to deliver high-strength, corrosion-resistant parts essential for naval operations.
Building on Velo3D’s existing Navy contract, the collaboration ensured continuous, ITAR-compliant production of CuNi components using DoD-certified systems. Together, the companies strengthened domestic manufacturing capacity while supporting the Navy’s modernization and fleet readiness goals.
In 2023, US 3D printer OEM 3D Systems and Oerlikon AM announced partnership to scale metal additive manufacturing for aerospace and semiconductor applications by combining 3D Systems’ Direct Metal Printing (DMP) technology with Oerlikon’s surface engineering and production expertise.
As part of the agreement, Oerlikon installed its first U.S.-based DMP Factory 500 printer at its North Carolina facility, enhancing its end-to-end supply chain for complex aluminum components. Featuring a 500 × 500 × 500 mm build volume, triple lasers, and a vacuum chamber for minimal oxygen content, the DMP Factory 500 enables high-precision, high-quality metal parts with reduced costs and faster qualification for series production.
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Featured image shows IperionX’s Titanium Manufacturing Campus in Virginia. Photo via IperionX.
