Empire Metals (LSE:EEE) has joined the Australian Government-backed Critical Metals for Critical Industries Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) to investigate alternative titanium refining technologies using material from its Pitfield Titanium Project in Western Australia.
The company will participate in a research programme with Murdoch University focused on molten salt electrolysis and related metal conversion processes. The work will assess the potential to produce titanium metal directly from titanium dioxide (TiO₂) sourced from Pitfield using renewable electricity.
The research aims to evaluate an alternative to the conventional Kroll process, which is widely used in titanium metal production. Empire Metals said the proposed technology could reduce the environmental impact of refining and improve processing efficiency if successfully developed and commercialised.
Participation in the CRC will connect Empire Metals with an Australian industry-led research initiative focused on developing domestic critical metals processing capabilities and associated technologies.
The programme is intended to support Australia’s capacity to refine critical minerals domestically and develop additional supply chain infrastructure.
Empire Metals’ Pitfield project hosts a reported mineral resource of 8.16 billion tonnes grading 4.3% TiO₂, which the company describes as the world’s largest titanium resource reported to JORC or equivalent standards.
The company has previously produced titanium dioxide with a purity of 99.25% from Pitfield material. According to Empire Metals, the product is suitable for use as feedstock in pigment manufacturing and titanium sponge metal production.
Titanium mineralisation at Pitfield begins at surface and exhibits grade continuity along strike and down dip. The project also benefits from access to established regional infrastructure and transport connections.
The new research programme will examine whether Pitfield’s titanium dioxide can be converted directly into titanium metal through electrochemical processing.
The technology remains subject to research and development, and its technical performance and commercial viability have yet to be established.
Empire Metals is an AIM- and OTCQX-listed exploration and resource development company focused on advancing the Pitfield Titanium Project. Its development strategy includes evaluating processing routes for titanium products and potential participation in downstream titanium metal production.
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