Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Producing titanium powder by continuous vapor-phase reduction

  • Research Summary
  • Light Metals
  • Published:
JOM Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One of the goals of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Albany Research Center is to reduce the cost of titanium parts by developing a continuous titanium process. In this work, titanium powder was produced by feeding liquid TiCl4, with argon as a carrier gas, and magnesium wire into a shaft reactor at 1,000°C. The magnesium and TiCl4 vaporized and reacted to produce a mixture of titanium, MgCl2, and magnesium powder. Ti/Mg/MgCl2 powder was removed from the argon gas stream by an electrostatic precipitator, and the titanium powder was separated from the magnesium and MgCl2 by either vacuum distillation or leaching. Vacuum distillation produced sintered titanium powder with lower oxygen levels, but unacceptably high levels of magnesium and chlorine. Leached powder was spherical and free-flowing with low levels of magnesium and chlorine, but the oxygen content was no lower than 0.82%. The high oxygen content of the leached powder is caused by surface oxidation of the submicrometer titanium powder.

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. W.J. Kroll, “Method for Manufacturing Titanium and Alloys Thereof,” U.S. patent 2,205,854 (25 June 1940).

  2. M.A. Hunter, “Metallic Titanium,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 32 (1910), pp. 330–360.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. J.I. Paige and T.K. Redden, “Melting of Nitride Seeded Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Ingots,” J. Metals, 40 (3) (1988), pp. 26–28.

    Google Scholar 

  4. P.J. Bania, “Production of Titanium Particles that Are Free from Low Density Inclusions,” U.S. patent 4,678,506 (7 July 1987).

  5. R.E. Peebles and C.A. Kelto, “Investigation of Methods for the Production of High Quality, Low Cost Titanium Alloy Powders,” Powder Metallurgy of Titanium Alloys, eds. F.H. Froes and J.E. Smugeresky (Warrendale, PA: TMS-AIME, 1980), pp. 47–58.

    Google Scholar 

  6. J.P. Laughlin and G.J. Dooley, “The Hydride Process for Producing Titanium Alloy Powders,” Powder Metallurgy of Titanium Alloys, eds. F.H. Froes and J.E. Smugeresky (Warrendale, PA: TMS-AIME, 1980), pp. 37–46.

    Google Scholar 

  7. E. Perout, “Study of the Mechanics and Kinetics of the Reaction of Titanium Tetrachloride and Magnesium in the Vapor State,” Office of Naval Research project no. 50117-G (Clevite Corp.), contract no. NOnr-1121(00), final report (10 May 1956).

  8. J.P. Levy, “New Developments in Titanium Extraction,” Metal Ind. (May 20, 1955), pp. 415–418.

  9. J.V. Denning, “Vapour Phase Production of Titanium,” Metal Ind. (May 13, 1955), pp. 395–398.

  10. National Smelting Co. Brit. patent 736,852 (14 September 1955).

  11. S. Takeuchi et al., “Apparatus of Continuous Production of Pure Ti and Zr,” Japanese patent 3004 (23 April 1958).

  12. L. Bertrand and C.M. Olson, “Vapor Phase Reduction of Silicon Halide With a Reducing Agent,” U.S. patent 3,012,862 (16 August 1960).

  13. C.H. Winter, Jr., “Refractory-Metal-Powder Production by Vapor-Phase Reduction of Chlorides,” U.S. patent 2,997,285 (22 August 1961).

  14. G. Zuliani, Metall (Berlin), 30 (10) (1976), p. 934.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. R.B. Worthington, “Production of Metal Powder,” U.S. patent 4,445,931 (1 May 1984).

  16. D.D. Harbuck, “Gas-Phase Production of Titanium Nitride and Carbide Powders,” J. Metals, 38 (9) (1986), pp. 47–50.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. C.F. Davidson, M.B. Shirts, and D.D. Harbuck, U.S. patent 4,812,301 (14 March 1989).

  18. G.W. Elger et al., “Preparation of Submicron Titanium Nitride by Vapor-Phase Reactions,” Met. Trans. B, 20B (August 1989), pp. 493–497.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. G.J. Slavens, “Vapor-Phase Reactions to Prepare Titanium Nitride Powder,” U.S. Bureau of Mines RI 9406 (1992).

  20. S. Okudaria et al., Eur. patent appl. EP 298,698 (11 January 1989).

  21. J.D. Leland, “Economically Producing Reactive Metals by Aerosol Reduction,” JOM, 48 (10) (1996), pp. 52–55.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. D.G. Tisdale, J.M. Toguri, and W. Curlook, “The Vapor Phase Production of Titanium,” Titanium 1995, vol. 2 (London: London Inst. of Met., 1996), pp. 1535–1542.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Stephen J. Gerdemann (chemical engineer)

    Present address: the U.S. Department of Energy’s Albany Research Center, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oremet-Wah Chang, Albany, Oregon

    Dennis A. Hansen (senior process engineer)

Authors
  1. Dennis A. Hansen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephen J. Gerdemann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

For more information, contact S.J. Gerdemann, Albany Research Center-Department of Energy, 1450 Queen Avenue S.W., Albany, Oregon 97321-2198; (541) 967-5964; fax (541) 967-5868; e-mail gerdeman@alrc.doe.gov.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hansen, D.A., Gerdemann, S.J. Producing titanium powder by continuous vapor-phase reduction. JOM 50, 56–58 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-998-0289-3

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-998-0289-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation