5 000 T/A Sponge Titanium Project Kicks off in QinghaiConstruction on the 5 000 t/a sponge titanium project with a total investment of RMB620 million was recently started in Ganhe Industrial Zone located in Xining, Qinghai province.     The project will make a comprehensive use of rich salt lake resources in Qinghai to develop titanium products. After the project fully reaches the design indexes in 2008, an output value of RMB1.6 billion a year is expected to be accomplished.    Titanium is an important rare metal with excellent properties of small weight, great strength, good heat resistance and strong corrosion resistance. It is extensively used in aviation, space flight, petroleum, chemical and medical apparatus sectors. Sponge titanium is an upstream product for various processed titanium materials.