Rio Tinto’s Fer et Titane sells first Al-Sc alloy for 3-D printing
The metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy, where a new scandium demonstration plant is being built. Credit: Rio Tinto.
London-based
Rio Tinto (L:RIO) has signed an agreement to provide the first commercial batch of aluminum-scandium alloy to Amaero, a leader in metal additive manufacturing.
The alloy – given the brand name of Element North 21 – will be delivered by the Rio Tinto
Fer et Titane metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy, Que. The delivery will be made as alloy billets, and Amaero will process them into powder for high temperature 3D printing applications. The lightweight material will find applications in the aerospace, defence and other industries.
Scandium. Credit: Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto and the Quebec government have announced the development of the first scandium oxide plant in North America. The commercial-scale demonstration plant, which is already under construction, will cost about US$6 million ($9 million) and have the capacity to produce 3 tonnes per year. Considering the current size of the market, estimated at around 20 tonnes per year, the production will be significant for Rio Tinto and Quebec.
“With the first production unit, Rio Tinto will become the leading producer of high-purity scandium oxide in North America,” said Stephane Leblanc, Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium’s managing director, in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
After developing an innovative new process to extract scandium from the by-products generated during the production of titanium dioxide, Rio Tinto Fer et Titane (RTFT) announced that it will become North America’s first producer of high-quality scandium oxide with a new plant under construction at RTFT’s metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy,.
Rio Tinto se lance dans la production d oxyde de scandium à Sorel-Tracy tvanouvelles.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tvanouvelles.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Rio Tinto se lance dans la production d oxyde de scandium à Sorel-Tracy journaldequebec.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from journaldequebec.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.