NKK Corporation announced today that SP-700, a new titanium alloy developed by the company has been approved for entry into the "MIL Handbook-5," a public listing in the United States that authorizes metallic materials for aerospace application.

SP-700 is the first Japanese-developed titanium alloy and also the third titanium alloy of a+b type in the world to be listed in the MIL Handbook-5. The a+b type titanium alloy is known to have excellent superplastic formability. The listing is the result of SP-700's excellent performance and stable characteristics.

The MIL Handbook-5 is a public materials listing compiled under the supervision of U.S. governmental aerospace organizations, including the Federal Aviation Administration. It provides aerospace design engineers with material characteristics and design allowables. Listing in the handbook is essential to achieving widespread use of aerospace materials from a design stage. The handbook is widely used all over the world, including Europe and Japan, as well as domestically in the U.S.

Listing in the MIL Handbook-5 normally takes more than 15 years due to the complexity and cost of the sample testing and statistical data analysis involved in assuring the reliability of a new material for use in aerospace applications. SP-700 was originally developed in 1989 and in 1995 it entered into extensive commercial production. To date, the material has mainly been used in commercial products, such as sporting goods and automotive engine components. By drawing on its superb performance track record, SP-700 has achieved listing in only six years and at relatively low cost with superb efficiency.

In 2000, SP-700 also achieved certification for all major products under the U.S. Aerospace Material Specification (AMS), a public standard for aerospace materials. The new listing in the MIL Handbook-5 means that SP-700 has now achieved all the certification conditions required for aerospace materials.

NKK, through its New York-based subsidiary, NKK Titanium U.S.A. Corporation, has entered into an alliance with Niles, Ohio-based RMI Titanium Company to sell SP-700 to the North American and European aircraft markets. The two companies have engaged in concerted sales efforts to date, promoting use of SP-700 in the aerospace industry. Taking full advantage of the latest authorization, NKK intends to intensify its marketing efforts in order to expand use of SP-700 throughout the aerospace industry.

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For further information, please contact:

   Mr. Hiroo Osada
   Public Relations Department
   NKK Corporation
   Tel: +81-3-3217-2431