With the development of sponge titanium production technology, the cost of titanium materials will be greatly reduced in the future

Those involved in the production and manufacture of titanium know that in 1940, Luxembourg scientist "WJ Klauer" invented the magnesium thermal reduction process to make titanium sponge. For many years, people have been researching and exploring a better new process to reduce energy consumption, carbon emission and cost of titanium sponge production. Scientists have tried many new processes in the field of titanium smelting, but have failed to solve the practical problems of high energy consumption, high pollution and high cost in the production of titanium raw materials. At present, no new titanium smelting technology has been effectively popularized and applied.

Recently, it was reported that greenhouse gas carbon dioxide emissions from titanium processing were addressed by using a new process technology that avoids adding carbon to the titanium refining process. Exploring a new titanium smelting and extraction method will bring a new breakthrough for titanium raw material production technology and is expected to achieve commercial application.

Kroll method (Kroll method) titanium metal extraction method is to put crushed titanium ore (Ti02) into the melting furnace, inject chlorine gas and reducing agent coal coke, heating to 1000℃ to achieve chemical reaction, produce liquid titanium tetrachloride, reaction produces a lot of carbon dioxide gas. This method in the production of a ton of titanium magnesium reduction distillation process can produce about 10 tons of carbon dioxy gas, will consume a lot of electricity, the production of a ton of titanium sponge consumes about 2 ~ 30000 KWH, and the distillation reduction process in the removal of titanium impurities is unique, which leads to the production of titanium sponge of high pollution, high energy consumption, high cost and many other shortcomings.

The researchers' new technology, titanium smelting extraction technology, is to add powdered titanite (Ti02), calcium fluoride and aluminum into the mixture, in the aluminum smelting furnace for intense thermal reduction reaction, alumina and calcium fluoride in the combustion reaction is easy to separate, and then through the electrolytic process to dissolve the metal titanium in the electrolyte, forming solid dendrite titanium deposition on the electrode surface. Titanium is obtained by washing or vacuum separation. The titanium prepared by this method has low impurity content and good impurity removal effect by Bicklauer method. The process does not involve carbon element and solves the problem of large amount of carbon dioxide emission in the production process. This process is more environmentally friendly and its power consumption is about 70% lower than that of Raul process. The metal titanium obtained by electrolytic deposition can be directly used to prepare titanium powder or to produce porous fiber sintered sheet. The new process can effectively solve the problems of high energy consumption and pollution in the production of titanium raw materials, and obtain titanium raw materials with higher purity and lower cost.