Allegheny Technologies Inc.’s Rowley, UT, titanium sponge facility has completed the standard-grade qualification (SQ) process. Titanium sponge produced at the Rowley facility can now be applied to many products used for aerospace airframe, medical, and industrial applications.

“This is an important accomplishment as we continue the process of achieving our strategic goal of a cost-effective premium-titanium sponge facility,” says Rich Harshman, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “This approval follows an extensive series of audits, inspections, and qualifications to characterize the attributes of the sponge produced at the Rowley facility.

“The qualification comes at an historic time in the aerospace industry as OEMs increase production to unprecedented rates for both airframes and jet engines. We are also seeing increased demand from the jet engine aftermarket. In addition, demand remains strong for our titanium products from the medical and industrial markets.”

Titanium sponge is a critical raw material used to produce titanium mill products. The ATI Rowley facility uses the Kroll reduction – vacuum distillation process, which reduces titanium tetrachloride with magnesium to produce the sponge.