IperionX (ASX:IPX) commenced a definitive feasibility study for its Titan critical minerals project in Tennessee, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.

The study is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2026 and it will include detailed mine engineering, processing flowsheet, and infrastructure design. The project is the largest mineral resource of titanium, rare earth, and zircon mineral sands in the US.

The final phase of feasibility is partly funded by an allocation from a recent US government award of $47.1 million to "re-shore a mineral-to-metal" US titanium supply chain. The government funding awarded to the firm since January 2023 now totals over $60 million.

The firm said it remains on track for a successful ramp-up of its titanium production facility in Virginia.