CHARLOTTE, N.C.—IperionX Limited said in a release that it has agreed to a Scope of Work (SoW) for the supply of titanium metal components for Ford Motor Company, using IperionX’s 100 percent recycled, low-carbon titanium metal.
Ford and IperionX have been actively collaborating to design, test, and additively manufacture a series of high-quality titanium components for future Ford Performance production vehicles, IperionX said in the release.Ford Performance is the high-performance and racing division of the Ford Motor Company, known for performance cars such as the F150 Raptor, Bronco Raptor, Mustang Mach 1, and the Shelby GT500.
IperionX said the Ford SoW follows a detailed program of quality and strength testing of IperionX’s low-carbon, circular titanium metal. Ford’s Sustainability and Advanced Materials divisions undertook a range of testing procedures, verifying that IperionX’s titanium surpassed the required parameters set under ASTM International standards.
The titanium components are set to undergo a comprehensive “finishing study” to assess a range of potential surface finishes of parts. The insights gained from the SoW will guide the final design, and unit costs, for a range of low-carbon titanium components for Ford Performance production vehicles, the release said.
Automotive parts made with titanium are notable for superior strength-to-weight ratios, high levels of corrosion resistance, and outstanding durability. IperionX’s technologies can be sustainably recycled at the end of the product life. The company said its proprietary technologies can unlock significant sustainability benefits that are critical for a low-carbon, fully circular titanium automotive supply chain.
Ford recently joined the First Movers Coalition, a global initiative to harness purchasing power and supply chains for innovative clean industrial materials technologies. The First Movers Coalition leverages the collective purchasing power from the more than 50 foundation companies—including Volvo, Airbus, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft—to send a clear demand signal necessary to scale-up critical emerging technologies essential for the net-zero transition.
“Ford has a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” said IperionX CEO Anastasios (Taso) Arima, in the release. “We are proud to partner with Ford to accelerate the deployment of a sustainable, circular titanium supply chain for the global automotive market. Our low-carbon titanium metal is uniquely made with 100 percent recycled titanium and can significantly improve automotive supply chains by using high-strength titanium components with nearly half the weight of steel.”