Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Electrochemical Deoxidation of Titanium and Its Alloy Using Molten Magnesium Chloride

  • Published:
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Oxygen was directly removed from pure titanium and a Ti-6Al-4V alloy by electrolysis in molten MgCl2 at 1173 K (900 °C), where the metal being refined was the cathode and a graphite rod was used as the anode. By applying a voltage of approximately 3 V between the electrodes, commercially pure titanium, containing 1200 mass ppm oxygen, and the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, containing 1400 mass ppm oxygen, were deoxidized to 500 mass ppm or less. Under certain conditions, extra-low-oxygen titanium (as low as 80 mass ppm oxygen) was obtained using this electrochemical technique. The results obtained in this study indicate that the electrochemical deoxidation of titanium in molten MgCl2 is feasible and applicable not only to the refinement of primary metals, but also for upgrading machined titanium products and recycling metal scraps.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. ASTM B265-06b: Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, 2006

    Google Scholar 

  2. T.H. Okabe, R.O. Suzuki, T. Oishi, and K. Ono: Mater. Trans., JIM, 1991, vol. 32, pp. 485–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Y. Waseda, and M. Isshiki, eds.: Purification Process and Characterization of Ultra High Purity Metals, Springer, Berlin, 2001, pp. 3–37.

    Google Scholar 

  4. T.B. Massalski: Binary Alloy Phase Diagrams, 2nd ed., ASM international, Materials Park, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  5. W. Kroll: Trans. Electrochem. Soc., 1940, vol. 78, pp. 35–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. F. Habashi, ed.: Handbook of Extractive Metallurgy, VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Weinheim, 1997, vol. 2, pp. 1129–80.

  7. O. Takeda, T. Uda, and T.H. Okabe: in Treatise on Process Metallurgy, Volume 3: Industrial Processes, Elsevier, London, 2013, Chap. 2.9, pp. 995–1069.

  8. T. Suzuki: Titan. Jpn., 2009, vol. 57, pp. 21–9 (in Japanese).

  9. G.Z. Chen, D.J. Fray, and T.W. Farthing: Met. Trans. B, 2001, vol. 32, pp. 1041–52.

  10. R.W. Evans, R.J. Hull, and B. Wilshire: J. Mater. Process. Technol., 1996, vol. 56, pp. 492–501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Y. Yoshimura, Y. Shimuzu, and Z. Imamura: Proceedings of 7th World Conference on Titanium, 1992, pp. 2459–64.

  12. Y. Yoshimura: Titan. Jpn., 1996, vol. 44, pp. 71–3 (in Japanese).

  13. J.R. Nettle, D.H. Baxer Jr., and F. S. Wartman: Electrorefining Titanium Metal, United States Bureau of Mines, Report of Investigations 5315, Washington, DC, 1957.

  14. S. Takeuchi, and O. Watanabe: J. Jpn. Inst. Met., 1964, vol. 28, pp. 728–34 (in Japanese).

  15. Y. Hashimoto: Denki Kagaku, 1972, vol. 40, pp. 39–44 (in Japanese).

  16. H. Miyazaki, Y. Yamakoshi, and Y. Shindo: Materia, 1994, vol. 33, pp. 51–4 (in Japanese).

  17. T. Yahata, T. Ikeda, and M. Maeda: Met. Trans. B, 1993, vol. 24, pp. 599–604.

  18. J. Reitz, C. Lochbichler, and B. Friedrich: Intermetallics, 2011, vol. 19, pp. 762–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Y. Su, L. Wang, L. Luo, X. Jiang, J. Guo, and H. Fu: Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2009, vol. 34, pp. 8958–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. T.H. Okabe, and Y. Umetsu: Proceedings of Titanium’99: Science and Technology, 1999, pp. 1417–24.

  21. K.A. Gschneidner, Jr.: J. Alloys Compd., 1993, vol. 193, pp. 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. O. Kubaschewski, and W.A. Dench: J. Inst. Met., 1953, vol. 82, pp. 87–91.

    Google Scholar 

  23. K. Ono, and S. Miyazaki: J. Jpn. Inst. Met., 1985, vol. 49, pp. 871–5 (in Japanese).

  24. R.L. Fisher: US Patent, 4923531A, 1990.

  25. R.L. Fisher: US Patent, 5022935, 1991.

  26. R.L. Fisher, and S.R. Seagle: US Patent, 5211775 A, 1993.

  27. R.L. Fisher, and S.R. Seagle: Proceedings of 7th World Conference on Titanium, 1993, vol. 3, pp. 2265–72.

  28. T.H. Okabe, R.O. Suzuki, T. Oishi, and K. Ono: Mater. Trans., JIM, 1991, vol. 32, pp. 485–8.

  29. T.H. Okabe, T. Deura, T. Oishi, K. Ono, and D.R. Sadoway: Met. Trans. B, 1996, vol. 27, pp. 841–7.

  30. J.-M. Oh, B.-K. Lee, C.-Y. Suh, S.-W. Cho, and J.-W. Lim: Powder Metall., 2012, vol. 55, pp. 402–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. J.-M. Oh, K.-M. Roh, B.-K. Lee, C.-Y. Suh, W. Kim, H. Kwon, and J.-W. Lim: J. Alloys Compd., 2014, vol. 593, pp. 61–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. K.-M. Roh, C.-Y. Suh, J.-M. Oh, W. Kim, H. Kwon, and J.-W. Lim: Powder Technol., 2014, vol. 253, pp. 266–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. I. Barin: Thermochemical Data of Pure Substances, 3rd ed., VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Weinheim, 1995.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  34. T.H. Okabe, R.O. Suzuki, T. Oishi, and K. Ono: J. Iron Steel Inst. Jpn., 1991, vol. 77, pp. 93–9 (in Japanese).

  35. T.H. Okabe, T. Oishi, and K. Ono: J. Alloys Compd., 1992, vol. 184, pp. 43–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. T.H. Okabe, T. Oishi, and K. Ono: Met. Trans. B, 1992, vol. 23, pp. 583–90.

  37. S.-M. Han, Y.-S. Lee, J.-H. Park, G.-S. Choi, and D.-J. Min: Mater. Trans., 2009, vol. 50, pp. 215–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. T.H. Okabe, K. Hirota, Y. Waseda, and K.T. Jacob: J. Min. Mater. Process. Inst. Jpn., 1998, vol. 114, pp. 813–8.

    Google Scholar 

  39. T.H. Okabe, M. Nakamura, T. Oishi, and K. Ono: Met. Trans. B, 1993, vol. 24, pp. 449–55.

  40. M. Nakamura, T.H. Okabe, T. Oishi, and K. Ono: Proceedings of International Symposium on Molten Salt Chemistry and Technology, 1993, pp. 529–40.

  41. T.H. Okabe, T. Deura, T. Oishi, K. Ono, and D.R. Sadoway: J. Alloys Compd., 1996, vol. 237, pp. 150–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. K. Hirota, T.H. Okabe, F. Saito, Y. Waseda, and K.T. Jacob: J. Alloys Compd., 1999, vol. 282, pp. 101–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. P.K. Tripathy, M. Gauthier, and D.J. Fray: Met. Trans. B, 2007, vol. 38, pp. 893–900.

  44. G.Z. Chen, D.J. Fray, and T.W. Farthing: Nature, 2000, vol. 407, pp. 361–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. G.Z. Chen, D.J. Fray, and T.W. Farthing: US Patent, 2004/0159559 A1, 2004.

  46. K. Ono, and R.O. Suzuki: JOM, 2002, vol. 54, pp. 59–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. R.O. Suzuki: JOM, 2007, vol. 59, pp. 68–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. M. Ito, and K. Morita: Mater. Trans., 2004, vol. 45, pp. 2712–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. D.A. Wenz, I. Johnson, and R.D. Wolson: J. Chem. Eng. Data, 1969, vol. 14, pp. 250–2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. B. Neumann, C. Kroeger, and H. Juettner: Z. Elektrochem. Angew. Phys. Chem., 1935, vol. 41, pp. 725–36.

    Google Scholar 

  51. W. Li, Y. Yuan, X. Jin, H. Chen, and G.Z. Chen: Progr. Nat. Sci.: Mater. Int., 2015, vol. 25, pp. 650–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Tetsushi Deura and Messrs. Daisuke Matsuwaka and Fumiaki Kudo at Kobe Steel, Ltd., for their sample analysis. The authors thank Messrs. Susumu Kosemura, Masanori Yamaguchi, Yuichi Ono, and Yosuke Inoue of Toho Titanium Co., Ltd. for the valuable suggestions and useful information that they provided. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Katsuhiro Nose and Mr. Hisao Kimura at the University of Tokyo for their valuable suggestions and technical assistance. This work was financially supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), through a Funding Program for Next Generation World-Leading Researchers (NEXT Program, Project No. GR019) and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) (KAKENHI Grant No. 26220910).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan

    Yu-ki Taninouchi & Toru H. Okabe

  2. Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan

    Yuki Hamanaka (Engineer)

  3. Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, 1511 Furumagi, Joso-shi, Ibaraki, 300-2795, Japan

    Yuki Hamanaka (Engineer)

Authors
  1. Yu-ki Taninouchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuki Hamanaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Toru H. Okabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu-ki Taninouchi.

Additional information

Manuscript submitted February 13, 2016.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Taninouchi, Yk., Hamanaka, Y. & Okabe, T.H. Electrochemical Deoxidation of Titanium and Its Alloy Using Molten Magnesium Chloride. Metall Mater Trans B 47, 3394–3404 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-016-0792-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-016-0792-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation