Direct production of low-oxygen-concentration titanium from molten titanium

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Titanium's desirable properties are hindered by high manufacturing costs due to oxygen contamination.
• Existing refining processes for titanium are costly and complex, limiting its applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, high-throughput method for reducing oxygen content in molten titanium.
• To enable seamless integration of refining, melting, and casting processes for titanium mass production.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the high affinity of rare-earth metals, specifically yttrium (Y), for oxygen.
• Employed the formation reaction of yttrium oxyhalide (YOF) to remove oxygen from liquid titanium.
• Developed a technique for direct conversion of titanium oxide feeds into low-oxygen titanium.

Main Results:

• Achieved a significant reduction in oxygen content in molten titanium to 200 mass ppm.
• Demonstrated the direct removal of oxygen without intermediate compound conversion.
• Established a viable recycling pathway for high-oxygen titanium scrap into low-oxygen titanium.

Conclusions:

• The developed technique dramatically lowers titanium production costs.
• This method facilitates the widespread utilization of titanium in structural material applications.
• The process offers a sustainable solution for titanium refining and recycling.