Abstract
The rapid plasma quench concept used to produce ultrafine titanium hydride, magnesium, and aluminum powders involves the thermal dissociation of liquid reactants into gaseous components followed by rapid quenching of the products of the subject reaction to prevent back reactions. For example, in the case of titanium hydride powder production, titanium tetrachloride dissociates into titanium and chlorine atoms at 5,000 K. Expansion through a Delaval nozzle accelerates the gas to supersonic speed, cooling it very rapidly at rates as high as 710 K/s. Injected hydrogen reacts with condensed titanium particles to form titanium hydride and with the chlorine to form hydrogen chloride. Titanium powder has been produced at 20 kg/h in a continuous reactor. Costs are projected to be lower than the Kroll process at a sufficiently large scale. Magnesium and aluminum production based upon the rapid plasma quench concept are also discussed.
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References
Alan Donaldson and Ronald Cordes, “Plasma Quench Production of Titanium Powder,” EPD Congress 2001, ed. P.R. Taylor (Warrendale, PA: TMS, 2001), pp. 67–77.
Maurice G. Fey and Edna Dancy, “Metal Powder Production by Direct Reduction in an Arc Heater,” U.S. patent 3,992,193 (16 November 1976).
John S. McFeaters, “Method of Making Carbide, Nitride, and Boride Powders,” U.S. patent 4,851,262 (25 July 1989).
J.E. Emswiler and F.L. Schwartz, Thermodynamics (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1943).
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For more information, contact Alan Donaldson, Idaho Titanium Technologies, Inc., 101 Technology Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401; (208) 522-9909; fax (208) 523-6685; e-mail al@aljeanie226.myrf.net.
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Donaldson, A., Cordes, R.A. Rapid plasma quenching for the production of ultrafine metal and ceramic powders. JOM 57, 58–63 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-005-0083-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-005-0083-4