Moly, Vanadium, Ti Sponge & Feedstock Markets all Discussed at TITANIUM 2012

DENVER, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Titanium Metals Corp. (TIMET), Dallas, will sponsor World Industry Supply Trends, one of the major speaker sessions at TITANIUM 2012, hosted and organized by the International Titanium Association (ITA). Henry Seiner, TIMET vice president of planning and materials, will serve as the moderator of the session.

Terrance T. Perles, president of TTP Squared Inc. MoTiV Metals, LLC, will review factors that influence the supply and demand fundamentals of the molybdenum and vanadium markets as it relates to titanium alloy industry. The paper will outline molybdenum and vanadium reserves, sources of current production and an estimate of 2012 production levels and consumption data segmented by region and application.

Dr. Nagesh Chaganti, who heads the Titanium and Magnesium Group of DMRL, will outline commercial production of titanium sponge in India. According to Chaganti, India possesses large reserves of ilmenite (FeOTiO2) rich in TiO2 content located along the southern peninsular coasts. Mining and processing of these minerals to produce synthetic rutile, pigment grade titanium tetrachloride and titanium dioxide have long been in place in India, along with ingot melting and production of titanium alloy mill products.

India's one gap in the titanium "ore-to-product" cycle—titanium sponge production from titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4)—has been bridged by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, through the development of Kroll process of magnesium reduction of titanium tetrachloride. DMRL helped to establish India's first commercial titanium sponge plant (a capacity of 500 tpy) at Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd., Chavara, Kerala.

Jacko Preyser, general manager, sales and marketing for global mining giant Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium (RTIT), will examine the titanium feedstock market. Among RTIT's portfolio of assets is operating as the world's largest producer of titanium feedstock.  Preyser will point out that, after years of underinvestment by the titanium industry, supply/demand dynamics have now reached a critical junction where new sources of feedstock are urgently needed.

"Investing Today In Titanium Future Of Ukraine" is the topic to be presented by Alexander Votintsev, chief operating officer of Group DF International Ltd. Votintsev will profile Group DF's titanium division, listing the company's recent investments in order to do business on an international level.

Jeff Carpenter, senior manager, raw material procurement/supplier management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, will provide Boeing's views on closed-loop processing of titanium scrap.

Mr. Seiner, as the moderator, will recap salient points made by the panel speakers and then will share a "Melter's Perspective on Developments in Raw Materials." "A year ago, this panel heard about tightness in the feedstock ore markets," Seiner stated in his preview notes. "This phenomena unfolded as expected during late 2011 and early 2012. But the scrap market of late 2011 and thus far in 2012 has been much weaker than most market participants expected." His presentation will review the effect of these developments and consider possible implications for 2013 and beyond.

It's not too late to register for TITANIUM 2012 this October 7-10th at the Hilton Atlanta.  To register, call the ITA at (303) 404-2221 or visit the association's Web site (www.titanium.org).

Contact:  Jennifer Simpson, Executive Director
Denver, Colorado USA
1-303-404-2221   Telephone
1-303-404-9111   Facsimile
[email protected]  Email

SOURCE International Titanium Association