Daido Steel continues to produce at full capacity. Especially, orders for healthcare from abroad are active, and output for distributor keep firmer tone in Japan.

A half of shipments a year that is some 1,000 tonnes is alloy, but about 15% of all products is "DAT series" that is the firm's original alloy.

There is Ti-6Al-4V, typical titanium alloy that 6% of aluminium and 4% of vanadium is added. But vanadium price which is material of alloy is increasing 200-300% for a year earlier because of appreciation of vanadium pentoxide.

International price of vanadium pentoxide is $5.31 per kilogram at average of September. It starts to increase again now rapid increase of demand for China as adding to iron and steel. Moreover, titanium scrap price that is material is also increasing due to appreciation of ferrotitanium.

International price of ferrotitanium increases from $4.73 a kilogram, average of 2003, to $11.52, average of September.

Daido Steel