IBC Advanced produces 0.2% Al-Sc alloy

Executive Summary

• NioCorp Developments Ltd. and IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. successfully cast a 0.2% aluminum-scandium (Al-Sc) alloy at IBC’s foundry in Franklin, Indiana.
• Independent testing confirmed the alloy met target purity levels and specifications, validating the capability to produce strategic alloys for downstream manufacturing.
• The milestone supports NioCorp’s broader objective to develop a domestic scandium supply chain for defense and commercial markets, with potential applications in aerospace, automotive, electronics, and additive manufacturing.

Key Details

• Alloy Composition: 0.2% aluminum-scandium (Al-Sc).
• Location: IBC Advanced Alloys’ integrated foundry in Franklin, Indiana.
• Validation: Confirmed by an independent testing lab to have met target purity levels and other specifications.
• Strategic Context: Demonstrates readiness for downstream alloy manufacturing and custom-part production.
• Market Drivers: Addresses global scarcity of scandium; most supply comes from China where exports are restricted for dual-use applications. No commercial-scale scandium production currently exists in the United States.
• Future Production Plans: Subject to project financing, NioCorp plans to produce approximately 100 tonnes per year of scandium oxide at its Elk Creek critical minerals project in southeastern Nebraska, alongside niobium and titanium products.
• Additional Product Evaluation: NioCorp is evaluating the potential to produce several rare earths from the Elk Creek project.
• Qualified Person: Ken Shasteen, BS in materials science and engineering, vice-president of foundry operations and senior metallurgist of IBC, reviewed and approved the technical information.

Notable Quotes

• "Successfully casting this aluminum-scandium alloy demonstrates real progress in our effort to bring scandium into practical, high-value applications... Through our existing joint development effort with IBC, we have validated the ability to produce a highly strategic alloy that can be cast, forged or extruded into functional parts, supporting our broader objective to develop a reliable and domestic scandium supply chain for defence and commercial markets." — Mark A. Smith, Chairman and CEO, NioCorp.
• "This aluminum-scandium alloy can also be provided to the market for additive manufacturing of aluminum-scandium parts using U.S. and/or North American alloy." — Mark A. Smith, Chairman and CEO, NioCorp.
• "Casting a 0.2 per cent aluminum-scandium alloy is an important step in advancing our joint development program with NioCorp... This capability opens the door to new commercial applications for scandium-containing materials." — Mark Wolma, President, IBC Advanced Alloys.