Arconic Corporation commissioned a $57.5 million expansion project at its Davenport Works plant in Iowa. The project has effectively doubled domestic production of high purity aluminum (HPA), a critical material to aerospace and defense applications.
“Arconic is honored to support American leadership in advanced manufacturing by expanding domestic production of high purity aluminum for next-generation aerospace and defense applications,” said Diana Perreiah, executive vice president of Rolled Products North America. “This project strengthens critical supply chains and supports national defense priorities, while reinforcing our role as a trusted partner in delivering materials essential to U.S. security and competitiveness.”
HPA is a type of unwrought, unalloyed aluminum that is characterized as having a minimum purity of 99.9 percent aluminum by mass. HPA is used to produce unique alloys that have strong damage tolerance and resistance to high temperatures, and it is a key input for manufacturing aluminum sheet, plate, and extrusions that are used for various aviation, space, and defense applications. Among the defense applications that require HPA are the bulkheads for the F-35 and advanced armor plate for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
The Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III program supports domestic industrial capabilities essential to national security. In Fiscal Year 2021, the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act directed the Secretary of Defense to examine how Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III authorities could incentivize domestic aluminum manufacturing and processing. The War Department determined that HPA is critical to national defense due to its role in advanced alloys used in aerospace and ground systems.
The expansion project at Arconic Davenport Works directly — which was supported by a $45.5 million award from the U.S. Department of War in 2023, utilizing DPA authorities — addresses the identified gaps in domestic HPA capacity. This is achieved by deploying a proprietary production process, developed by the Arconic Technology Center. The process offers a more efficient and dependable alternative to smelter-based methods, providing s scalable supply for defense-critical applications.
Engineering and construction of the expansion was carried out by Fluor Corporation. The building houses two new furnaces and advanced control and automation systems from Gillespie & Powers, Inc. This enables Arconic to produce P0101 and P0202 aluminum at Davenport Works, providing the U.S. with surge capacity of HPA ingot, thus mitigating potential risks to national security in the event of an industrial mobilization.
“Delivering this project on schedule and on budget reflects the skill and commitment of our Davenport Works team and the strength of our collaboration with the U.S. government,” said Jeff Weida, vice president of Manufacturing Davenport Works & Satellite Operations. “This investment expands our advanced aluminum manufacturing capabilities and reinforces Iowa’s role as a hub for high-tech production and industrial innovation.”
Arconic Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a leading provider of aluminum sheet, plate and extrusions, as well as innovative architectural products, that advance the ground transportation, aerospace, building and construction, industrial, and packaging end markets.