IperionX Secures $47M DoD Funding to Advance U.S. Titanium and Rare Earth Supply Chain

IperionX

Titan Project and Virginia Facility to Strengthen Critical Mineral Independence

IperionX has been awarded up to $47 million by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to advance its Titan titanium and rare earth project in Tennessee and to boost production capacity at its Virginia manufacturing campus. This investment forms part of a larger $71 million public-private partnership aimed at reinforcing domestic critical mineral supply chains.

The funding will support a two-phase plan over the next two years. In Phase 1, the DoD will contribute $5 million toward a feasibility study to bring the Titan mineral sands project—located near Camden, Tennessee—to shovel-ready status. IperionX will add $1 million to this effort, which is expected to be completed within 12 months.

Titan Project to Deliver Multi-Metal Feedstocks for 25 Years

The Titan project, covering 11,000 acres, is fully permitted and expected to operate for 25 years. Once in production, it will yield a wide array of strategic minerals, including:

• 4,600 t/yr of rare earth element (REE) concentrate

• 16,700 t/yr of rutile

• 95,500 t/yr of ilmenite

• 22,400 t/yr of premium zircon

• 16,100 t/yr of zircon concentrate

IperionX has signed non-binding offtake agreements with Chemours and Mario Pilato BLAT for approximately half of its titanium and zircon output. These firms serve the chemical, ceramics, glass, and refractory sectors, providing early validation of the project’s commercial viability.

Vertical Integration to Include REE Processing and Production Expansion

The remaining $42 million of the DoD funding will go toward expanding production and supporting vertical integration at IperionX’s Virginia facility. The company also plans to process REE concentrate from Titan at Energy Fuels' White Mesa mill in Utah, one of the only licensed facilities in the U.S. capable of refining both light and heavy rare earth oxides.

This strategic funding package highlights growing U.S. efforts to reduce reliance on foreign sources, especially China, for titanium, rare earths, and zirconium—all essential to defense, aerospace, and clean energy industries.