Challenges
Commercial titanium products are among the most complex commodities to produce. Titanium ore bodies are geologically diverse and often located in remote, environmentally sensitive regions, making them geographically and logistically challenging to access. As high-grade deposits become scarcer, it becomes more challenging to cost-effectively produce concentrates. Technical challenges coupled with volatile market conditions requires out-of-the-box, mining and concentration methodologies.
In addition, maximizing resource value through the recovery of by-products such as zircon, rutile, leucoxene, and monazite is becoming essential for economic viability. However, this adds complexity to processing flowsheets and requires integrated, multiproduct strategies.
Producing commercial titanium products is a highly intricate process. The technologies required are sophisticated, capital-intensive, and often proprietary, demanding deep technical expertise and significant investment.
Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and metal producers operate in a landscape defined by technical complexity and intense market pressure. Extracting high-purity TiO₂ and titanium minerals from increasingly complex ores demands advanced processing techniques. Producers must contend with refractory impurities like iron, silica, and even radioactive elements, all while achieving exacting standards for particle size, morphology, and chemical composition. These specifications are critical for high-performance applications in aerospace, medical devices, and premium pigments—markets where quality is non-negotiable.
Yet the technical hurdles are only part of the equation. The business environment is equally challenging. Protecting proprietary processes and formulations is essential to maintaining a competitive edge, especially in a field where innovation is hard-won. Meanwhile, producers face rising production costs, volatile feedstock prices, and fierce global competition that continues to squeeze margins. Environmental regulations are tightening, pushing companies to reduce emissions, manage tailings more responsibly, and improve energy efficiency across operations.
Adding to the complexity are broader structural and geopolitical forces. Market consolidation has concentrated power among a few dominant players, raising barriers to entry for newcomers and smaller firms. Global trade tensions and the strategic push for critical mineral independence are disrupting traditional supply chains, particularly for mineral sands and rare earth elements. At the same time, companies must navigate the delicate balance between growth and capital discipline, all while grappling with a persistent shortage of skilled labor—especially in remote or technically demanding operations. In this high-stakes environment, innovation, agility, and operational excellence are not just advantages; they are necessities.
Integrated mine planning and process flowsheet development
Our mining and mineral processing experts support clients from the earliest stages to develop integrated solutions tailored to the ore body, including:
- Drilling, sampling, and assaying programs to characterize ore bodies.
- Geotechnical and resource assessments to determine optimal mining methods (open-pit, dredging, or dry mining).
- Integrated metallurgical test work to design flowsheets that maximize product value, considering capital cost, processing costs, and by-products.
- Slimes and water management strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective, and minimize environmental impact.
Custom process development and plant design
We develop tailored, cost-effective flowsheets across the titanium value chain, including:
- Ore beneficiation , TiO₂ feedstock upgrading, pigment and sponge production.
- Expertise in sulfate, chloride, and alternative technologies to suit ore type and market needs.
- Solutions that enhance by-product valorization, CO-gas utilization, energy efficiency, and waste minimization.
- Support for novel, low-carbon, and IP-secure processes that help clients differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
Monazite and rare earth elements
With rising demand for REEs and supply chain diversification, we leverage our REE expertise to help clients across key areas, including:
- Market and product strategy: Define marketable monazite specifications, analyze REE demand, and engage potential offtakers.
- Process development: Design and optimize monazite upgrading and REE extraction processes, including pilot plant validation.
- Regulatory compliance: Manage radiological risks, support permitting, and ensure alignment with environmental and nuclear regulations.
- Infrastructure and logistics: Plan safe transport, storage, and export logistics, and design supporting site infrastructure.
- Strategic partnerships and funding: Facilitate industry partnerships and assist in securing government support or funding.
Top quartile and emerging technologies
We have co-developed industry-leading capabilities, including:
- In-house dredge automation software to improve productivity of existing assets.
- The RBM smelter and UGS roasting-leach process, which set benchmarks in productivity and profitability.
- Transfer of best practices from adjacent industries into the titanium sector.
- Development of custom-designed solutions to improve throughput, recovery, and environmental performance.
- Leveraging expertise with electro-metallurgy and plasma technology to support the development of new processes.
Plant debottlenecking
Our operational excellence programs deliver:
- Improved yields, higher uptime, and lower operating costs.
- Digitalization of complex operations to enhance decision making and asset performance (e.g., digital twins and dynamic simulation modeling).
- Retrofitting of existing plants to accommodate new product grades or improve flexibility.
- Capital portfolio optimization to align investments with strategic business goals.
New product development
We support clients in:
- Developing high-value, differentiated products faster and more efficiently.
- Applying modern project execution methods tailored to each operation.
- Enhancing profitability and market responsiveness in a competitive landscape.
Improved operational performance
Whether a plant needs capital investment or performance optimization, we provide:
- Strategic operational-performance programs that deliver measurable results.
- Digital transformation roadmaps to modernize legacy assets.
- Continuous improvement initiatives to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and minimize environmental impact.