April 18, 2007 – Sumitomo Titanium plans to double production of high-grade titanium used in semiconductor target materials to 300 tons/year in fiscal 2009, according to the Nikkei Business Daily. Investments include 500 million yen (US $4.2 million) to add a second distillation system at its main plant in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. The company already is spending 31.9 billion yen ($267.2 million) for a new plant that will raise total annual production of sponge titanium to 38,000 tons/year by July 2009 (vs. 24,000 tons/year today)

Sumitomo Titanium is Japan’s top producer of sponge titanium, an intermediate material between the base metal and high-grade titanium (>99.995% purity) used as target material for semiconductor and flat-panel wiring.