MATERIALS SCIENCE
UTRS designed and built a state-of-the-art R&D metallurgical and prototyping laboratory in Butte, Montana. The Ph.D. scientists working there apply their broad ranging expertise ranging from solid state chemistry to soil analysis to a range of materials science projects.
OUR CAPABILITIES
Materials test program development
Analytical chemistry and plant design, operation, maintenance, and testing
Initiation of laboratory procedures and test processing development
Development and implementation of laboratory safety programs
Provide technical and program management support to large-scale R&D programs to develop new cost-effective materials processing technologies
Apply R&D efforts to reduce the cost and increase the availability of titanium, by selecting and testing alternative methods of titanium metal extraction and identifying nontraditional ore sources in an effort to create a lower cost feed source
Maintain state-of-the-art equipment, including a rapid high-temperature furnace/reactor with a containment system and inert gas capability (up to 2200+°C), a high temperature (1800°C) tube furnace, a high-speed sample section saw, a state-of-the-art DSC/TGA instrument for thermal analysis of a variety of materials, as well as a metallurgical and chemical laboratory capable of performing both wet and dry analytical chemistry
OUR MATERIALS SCIENCE SUPPORT
We have developed a patented extraction and refinement process that will significantly reduce the cost of producing titanium and titanium alloys. The process requires less power consumption, does not require the use of toxic chemicals, and can be operated without producing CO2, thereby reducing any deleterious effects on the environment compared to other titanium production processes.