|
|
DARPA Funds International Titanium Powder to Produce Low Oxygen Alloy for Navy Applications |
|
International Titanium Powder, L.L.C. (ITP) of Lockport, Illinois has
received $1.2 million from The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) to modify ITP's "Armstrong" process to produce low oxygen
content alloy suitable for high-performance, blast-resistant Navy
applications. The Armstrong process, developed by ITP, reduces titanium to a powder
metal form. DARPA wishes to rapidly advance the process to directly produce
complex titanium alloys and grades with low levels of oxygen content. Because
of the importance of titanium in defense applications, DARPA has broadened
its titanium initiative to involve additional participants such as ITP. Richard Anderson, ITP's director of research and development, will act
as the project's principal investigator. Work will begin immediately. "DARPA's funding will provide us with a fast track vehicle to
produce much needed high performance alloys. We are looking forward to
substantial progress over the next year," said Anderson. Chairman of the Projection Forces subcommittee of the House Armed
Services Committee, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (Md-6), said, "As a
scientist and engineer who worked on NASA's Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo
programs and with 11 years of experience on the House Armed Services,
Science, and Small Business Committees, I recognized the significance of a
domestic source of low cost, high quality titanium and understood the science
underlying the breakthrough represented by ITP's innovative Armstrong
process. ITP is a small business that could make important contributions to
enhancing America's future national security and economic prosperity." With a stable, low-cost, domestic source of titanium powder produced
through ITP's Armstrong Process, engineers will be able to expand
applications into a wide array of new areas in the use of titanium. The
Armstrong Process provides the potential to revolutionize the industry. International Titanium Powder, L.L.C. is a research and development firm specializing in the reduction of metals using the novel Armstrong process. ITP's Armstrong Titanium Reduction Process is nearing commercialization, with a commercial production facility scheduled to begin operation in 2006. |
