Electrolytic Routes to Titanium: Methodological Innovations, Key Findings, and Prospects for Sustainable Production

Titanium is an indispensable strategic metal, and the greening of titanium production processes is a key safeguard for the further development of the titanium industry. Traditional titanium extraction methods involve high-temperature molten salts and high energy consumption, accompanied by significant environmental issues. The electrolytic method for the production of titanium is a more environmentally friendly and promising production process. This review examines recent advancements in electrolytic titanium production, focusing on methods like the FFC, OS, SHS-ED, and USTB processes. These methods offer more efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional titanium extraction. Key findings include improvements in anode materials, electrolyte compositions, and process optimizations, which enhance titanium purity and production efficiency. The SHS-ED method, in particular, has shown significant advantages by shortening the deoxidation reaction path, improving process efficiency, and reducing the formation of undesirable phases. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in improving current efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and scaling up production. This article aims to provide guidance for future research directions and to discuss how to further promote the development of electrolytic titanium technology for more efficient and environmentally friendly titanium production.