Empire Metals (LSE:EEE) has completed the development of an integrated metallurgical processing flowsheet for its Pitfield Titanium Project in Western Australia, demonstrating the potential to produce premium-grade titanium products, including 99%+ titanium dioxide (TiO₂) pigment, titanium sponge metal feedstock and a high-grade alumina co-product using established processing technologies.
Bench-scale metallurgical testing showed that the Pitfield ore and proposed processing route can reject more than 90% of waste material, achieve titanium extraction rates of up to 98% and generate high-purity alumina. According to the company, these results indicate the project could support a structurally lower-cost production model compared with conventional ilmenite sulphate processing methods used elsewhere in the titanium industry.
Empire plans to begin continuous metallurgical pilot testing from the third quarter of 2026. The programme is intended to validate engineering design criteria, further optimise the processing flowsheet and generate product samples for evaluation by potential customers and offtake partners. Management believes this next phase will be an important step towards commercialising the project and demonstrating the scalability of the proposed process.
In parallel, the company has commissioned research at Murdoch University to investigate the direct production of titanium metal from Pitfield’s titanium dioxide using molten salt electrolysis technology. If successful, the approach could offer a lower-cost and lower-emissions pathway to titanium metal production, potentially enhancing the project’s strategic value as a Western source of critical titanium and alumina products.
Empire Metals’ outlook continues to be affected by its pre-revenue status, ongoing losses and continued cash outflows, which increase reliance on future funding. Technical indicators remain weak, with the share price trading below major moving averages and reflecting limited momentum. A relatively low level of debt provides some financial stability, although this has yet to translate into profitability.
More about Empire Metals
Empire Metals is an AIM-listed and OTCQX-traded natural resources company focused on the exploration and development of mineral projects. Its flagship asset is the Pitfield Titanium Project in Western Australia, which the company is advancing as a potentially large-scale, low-cost source of high-purity titanium dioxide products and titanium metal feedstock for global pigment and advanced materials markets.
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