Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Direct reduction processes for titanium oxide in molten salt

  • Overview
  • Processing and Characterizing Titanium Alloys
  • Published:
JOM Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Molten salt electrolysis using CaCl2 is employed to produce pure titanium and its alloys directly from TiO2 and a mixture of elemental oxides, respectively, as an alternate to the Kroll process. This is because CaO, which is a reduction by-product, is highly soluble in CaCl2. Good-quality titanium containing only a small amount of residual oxygen has been successfully produced and scaled to industrial levels. Thermochemical and electrochemical bases are reviewed to optimize the process conditions. Several processes using molten salt are being examined for future progress in titanium processing.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. P.P. Alexander, U.S. patent 2,038,402 (1936).

  2. P.P. Alexander, U.S. patent, 2,043.363 (1936).

  3. P.P. Alexander, U.S. patent, 2,082,134 (1937).

  4. K. Ono and S. Miyazaki, J. Jpn. Inst. Met., 49 (1985), pp. 871–875.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. K. Ono et al., Tetsu-to-Hagane, 76(4) (1990), pp. 568–575.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. T.H. Okabe et al., Mater. Trans. JIM, 32(5) (1991), pp. 485–488.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. R.O. Suzuki and S. Inoue, Mater. Metal. Trans. B, 34B (2003), pp. 277–285.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. T.H. Okabe et al., J. Alloys Comp., 364(1,2) (2004), pp. 156–163.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. T. Takenaka et al., Electrochemistry, 67 (1999), pp. 661–668.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. F. Cardarelli, World patent WO 03/046258 A2 (2003).

  11. K. Ono and R.O. Suzuki, JOM, 54(2) (2002), pp. 59–61.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. R.O. Suzuki et al., Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 34B (2003), pp. 287–295.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. K. Ono, Materials Japan, 43(5) (2004), pp. 425–432.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. R.O. Suzuki and S. Fukui, Mater. Trans., 45(5) (2004), pp. 1665–1671.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. R.O. Suzuki, J. Phys. Chem. Solid, 66(2–4) (2005), pp. 461–465.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. G.Z. Chen et al., Nature, 407 (2000), pp. 361–364.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. D.J. Fray, JOM, 53(10) (2001), pp. 26–31.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. G.Z. Chen et al., Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 32B (2001), pp. 1041–1052.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. T.H. Okabe et al., Tetsu-to-Hagane, 77 (1991), pp. 93–99.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. T.H. Okabe et al., J. Alloys Comp., 184 (1992), pp. 43–56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. T.H. Okabe et al., Met. Trans. B, 24B (1993), pp. 449–455.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. D.T.L. Alexander et al., Acta Mat., 54 (2006), pp. 2933–2944.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. T. Nohira et al., Nature Materials, 2 (2003), pp. 397–401.

    Article  PubMed  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. K. Yasuda et al., J. Phys. Chem. Solid, 66(2–4) (2005), pp. 443–447.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. X.Y. Yan and D.J. Fray, Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 33B (2002), pp. 685–693.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. G.Z. Chen et al., Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 35B(2) (2004), pp. 223–233.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. R.O. Suzuki and H. Kitagawa, Electrochemistry, 73(8) (2005), pp. 724–729.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. R.O. Suzuki et al., J. Alloys Comp., 385(1,2) (2004), pp. 173–180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. S. Jiao and H. Zhu, J. Alloys Comp., in press (2007).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Material Science, Hokkaido University, N13 W8 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan

    Ryosuke O. Suzuki (professor)

Authors
  1. Ryosuke O. Suzuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Suzuki, R.O. Direct reduction processes for titanium oxide in molten salt. JOM 59, 68–71 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-007-0014-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-007-0014-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation