Replies to post #59812 on Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[Landmark8211111]

Hi MB—In accordance with our latest FS - NioCorp is billed to produce (Titanium Dioxide), it would appear (Sponge Titanium) would require a significant scale up for production...but maybe well worth the large increase in the price! (from memory our FS) Titanium Dioxide is $2/kilogram.

Sponge Titanium - an overview

The powder that will approach most closely the price of titanium sponge is most likely to be high on the list for process selection. •. Powder process adaptability to scale up for powder production and for meeting major ...


"The price of titanium sponge is usually used as the criterion for price comparisons for powder-based supply chain products. The two typifying different titanium PM technologies, namely blended elemental mixing powders of titanium with master alloy powders (BE) and the prealloyed (PA) methods, not only produce compacts with different sets of properties, but also with two different price ranges. At present, the most costly powders are those manufactured by PREP, REP, and GA methods.
These technologies deliver powders at a price upward of $100 per kg. This is because PA spherical powders for high performance applications and near 100% densification require an expensive melt stock, ultraclean handling, and expensive compaction tools. Over the past decade, the emerging titanium powder technologies for the future of low-cost titanium production had been developed. The deciding factor of these new processes will be which one of them delivers titanium powder at a cost as close as possible to the current cost of the titanium sponge."


"At present, the most costly powders are those manufactured by PREP, REP, and GA methods. These technologies deliver powders at a price upward of $100 per kg. This is because PA spherical powders for high performance applications and near 100% densification require an expensive melt stock, ultraclean handling, and expensive compaction tools. Over the past decade, the emerging titanium powder technologies for the future of low-cost titanium production had been developed. The deciding factor of these new processes will be which one of them delivers titanium powder at a cost as close as possible to the current cost of the titanium sponge."

[ANTLER]

It seems that many people both inside and outside of government are beginning to realize that we need to ensure our supply lines and that China is not the place to do that. Niocorp should benefit from this realization.