Titanium Production — a transformative and sustainable process, R&D 100 winner of the day

University of Utah
Co-Developer: IperionX
Steel was too expensive compared to iron for 3,000 years until Henry Bessemer created a new process in 1856 that reduced the production costs. Steel holds the position of being the most significant metal in today’s world. Although titanium is superior to steel and aluminum, its high cost limits its use. The University of Utah’s team discovered that hydrogen can weaken the bond between titanium and oxygen, leading to the development of the HAMR process. This process can significantly reduce the cost of producing titanium, contributing to the lightweighting of electric vehicles and the growth of green hydrogen. With the HAMR process, titanium is having its “Bessemer moment.”