Title:
PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CRYSTALLINE TITANIUM POWDER
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2013/185153
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
The invention provides a process for the production of crystalline titanium powder containing single crystals or agglomerates of single crystals having an average crystal size (by volume) greater than 1 µm, said process including reacting a titanium chloride species, preferably titanium dichloride, and reducing metal in a continuous back-mix reactor to produce a free flowing suspension of titanium powder in molten chloride salt wherein: i. both the titanium chloride species and the reducing metal are dissolved in a molten chloride salt and fed to the reactor containing a chloride salt of the reducing metal; ii. the average feed ratio of the titanium chloride species and reducing metal to the continuous back-mix reactor is within 1%, preferably within 0.1%, of the stoichiometric ratio required to fully reduce the titanium chloride salt to titanium metal; iii. the concentration of titanium powder in the fluid suspension of titanium powder in molten salt in the continuous back-mix reactor is between 2 and 23 mass%; and iv. The reducing metal is lithium, sodium, magnesium, or calcium.
Inventors:
VAN VUUREN DAVID STEYN (ZA)
OOSTHUIZEN SALOMON JOHANNES (ZA)
SWANEPOEL JACO JOHANNES (ZA)
OOSTHUIZEN SALOMON JOHANNES (ZA)
SWANEPOEL JACO JOHANNES (ZA)
Application Number:
PCT/ZA2013/000038
Publication Date:
March 06, 2014
Filing Date:
May 29, 2013
Export Citation:
Assignee:
CSIR (ZA)
International Classes:
B22F1/06; B22F3/24
Domestic Patent References:
| WO2011106804A1 | 2011-09-01 |
Foreign References:
| US5259862A | 1993-11-09 |
Other References:
SUZUKI R O ET AL: "TITANIUM POWDER PREPARED BY MAGNESIOTHERMIC REDUCTION OF TI2+ IN MOLTEN SALT", METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A: PHYSICAL METALLURGY & MATERIALS SCIENCE, ASM INTERNATIONAL, MATERIALS PARK, OH, US, vol. 30B, no. 3, 1 June 1999 (1999-06-01), pages 403 - 410, XP000832806, ISSN: 1073-5623
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
C. BERNDT et al. (222 Richard Street Hatfield, 0083 Pretoria, ZA)
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