Titanium production

Discussion in 'Chemistry' started by arauca, May 25, 2012.

  1. arauca Banned Banned

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    What is the process in producing titanium sheet ?
     
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  3. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    "Titanium is produced using the Kroll process. The steps involved include extraction, purification, sponge production, alloy creation, and forming and shaping. In the United States, many manufacturers specialize in different phases of this production. For example, there are manufacturers that just make the sponge, others that only melt and create the alloy, and still others that produce the final products. Currently, no single manufacturer completes all of these steps."

    Refined rutile (or ilmenite) from the ore is reduced with petroleum-derived coke in a fluidized bed reactor at 1000 °C. The mixture is then treated with chlorine gas, affording titanium tetrachloride TiCl4 and other volatile chlorides, which are subsequently separated by continuous fractional distillation. In a separate reactor, the TiCl4 is reduced by liquid magnesium or Sodium (15-20% excess) at 800-850 °C in a stainless steel retort to ensure complete reduction:[2]
    2Mg(l) + TiCl4(g) → 2MgCl2(l) + Ti(s) [T = 800-850 °C]
    Complications result from partial reduction of the titanium to its lower chlorides TiCl2 and TiCl3. The MgCl2 can be further refined back to magnesium. The resulting porous metallic titanium sponge is purified by leaching or heated vacuum distillation. The sponge is jackhammered out, crushed, and pressed before it is melted in a consumable electrode vacuum arc furnace. The melted ingot is allowed to solidify under vacuum. It is often remelted to remove inclusions and ensure uniformity. These melting steps add to the cost of the product. Titanium is about six times as expensive as stainless steel.

    http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...xoKjw1NjtspQROM7w&sig2=Y1J6sCtELHrZMBt5qGfsqw
     
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  5. arauca Banned Banned

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    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    In a separate reactor, the TiCl4 is reduced by liquid magnesium or Sodium (15-20% excess) at 800-850 °C in a stainless steel retort to ensure complete reduction:[2]
    2Mg(l) + TiCl4(g) → 2MgCl2(l) + Ti(s) [T = 800-850 °C]

    This part does not look good . TiCl4 boils at 134 C and Mg melts at 800 C . and Ti melts at 1650 C definitively there is something missing
    In this case I wonder how they feed TiCl4 into or onto the molten Mg.. It must be some how in a vacuum system otherwise TiCl4 will react with O2
     
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  7. kwhilborn Banned Banned

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    I want to say the best place to get Titanium is in Wintergrasp, but it would be a private joke to a select few. Sounds like you already have your answer though. gl.
     
  8. arauca Banned Banned

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    I din't have an answer so far , I can look it up, but that is no fun , I like to se others opinion
     
  9. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    You can't get opinions about how something is made, it is made only a certain way and that's not up for debate. It is like asking how do you make brass, there's only one way to do it with only certain materials to go about making it.
     
  10. arauca Banned Banned

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    I understand what you are saying, but think and help me to understand

    1 Molten magnesium is molten ( liquid )at 850 C. TiCl4 boils at 135 C

    What is the decomposition temp. of TiCl4 ?
    What is your environment in were your reaction will take place , If your environment is 850C the TiCl4 will decompose .
    Are you going to spray TiCl4 in a surface of Magnesium ? in an inert atmosphere ?

    Your comparison to brass is to different ( were you mix or dissolve copper onto tin )
     
  11. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    titanium is a bitch. It is very reactive with oxygen when the titanium is at elevated temps. That is why the Ti must be reacted to produce TiCl4. The TiCl4 does not have oxygen, and yes indeed the production of the titanium metal requires that a vacuum to remove the oxygen and then a nitrogen blanket to prevent oxygen from reacting with the titanium.

    By the way you sure as hell do not what to expose TiCl4 to the atmosphere, the mositure in the air will react with the TiCl4 to produce Ti02 and 4 HCl, very dangerous stuff.
     
  12. kwhilborn Banned Banned

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    Sorry Arauca. My reference was to Titanium Ore in the World of Warcraft. Did not intend to interfere with discussion.
     
  13. Kittamaru Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Adieu, Sciforums. Valued Senior Member

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    I'm no chemist... but isn't that somewhat... well.. volatile? As in, it will burst into a metal-fire if those are allowed to combine?
     
  14. Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

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    Titanium dioxide is pretty innocuous. It occurs in the environment as Rutile, Anatase, and Brookite. All of which are kinda sexy.
     
  15. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    Isn't what volitile? Neither TiCl4 or Ti could be termed volitile. As I stated before TiCl4 is very reactive with water but it is not volitile. Metalic titaniume is very stable and is almost completely unreactive with many acids, and is certainly not volitile.
     

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