GoodRich offer the following titanium – related technologies, starting from the Ilmenite ore –

1)   Ferro-Titanium (30-45% Ti) production in the alumino-thermic process –

A reputed institute in Ukraine developed the alumino-thermic process to make ferro titanium (35-40% Ti), using ilmenite& aluminium scrap. This is an out-of furnace method & suitable for low content of titanium (range 30-45% Ti) in the alloy. If high contents of titanium alloy (60-70% Ti) are needed, they also offer furnace-reduction method (ESR process for best results), starting with titanium scrap or rutile.

The method of out-of furnace alumino-thermal reactor is the simplest way. The charge consists of Ilmenite and / or titanium ore concentrates; aluminium fine scrap or chips as a heat source and lime as a slag forming agent.

Both titanium & aluminium in the charge materials sufficiently affect the heat productivity of the alumino-thermic process. It was shown that the recovery by alumino-thermic process provides a low content of impurities (sulphur, phosphorus & carbon). The time needed for this reaction is small & gives satisfactory productivity, using simple equipments. The recovery process forms high alumina slag, which is neutral with regard to the melt & therefore the gas saturation of the melt does not receive a large development. However, the thermal conditions of metallo-thermic reaction in the absence of an external heat source impose restrictions on the content of titanium in the alloy, generally not more than 45%.

Aluminium scrap for the reduction process can be purchased from various sources, including the secondary alloys with aluminium content of more than 70%. With high content of aluminium in the scrap, the best quality of ferro titanium can be produced & higher efficiency of the process can be reached. The efficiency of production of low-grade ferro titanium from ilmenite ore by alumino-thermic reduction in the out-of furnace way is proven by the operation of an industrial unit, which has been working for more than 20 years in Ukraine.

Preliminary calculations have been made for the following grade of Ilmenite –

TiO2	49.8%
Fe2O3	8.8%
FeO	37.02%
SiO2	1.36%
Cr2O3	0.053%
V2O5	0.21%

The best possible composition of the ferro titanium from the above grade of Ilmenite is as under –

Ti	46.50%
Fe	52.27%
Si	0.99%
Cr	0.057%
V	0.18%

Aluminium content in this alloy can be 4-8%, depending on the type of process organization.

The process can be organized in the following way, and the inputs are as under –

 For out-of furnace process

	Grams
Ilmenite	100
Aluminium	35.62
CaO	135.62
q, kal/g	673

Calculations have also been made for other grades of Indian Ilmenite ores. When the TiO₂ content in the ore is 46.2%, the ferro titanium contains 39.7% Ti. Similarly, when the TiO₂ content in the ore is 48.1%, the ferro titanium contains 42.4% Ti. In both the cases, the aluminium requirement for the process goes up by 5%.

The experience in the production of ferro titanium showed that for high degree of extraction of titanium from Ilmenite concentrate, it is necessary to add slag forming component CaO, which reduces the slag temperature.

As explained earlier, the higher grades of ferro titanium (60-70%) can be organized by ‘in-furnace alumino-thermic reduction’, preferably using the ESR crucible melting or other furnaces.

2)TiO₂  pigment making technology –

From the titanium slag, TiO₂ pigment can be made by the sulphide process & the Titanium Institute offers this technology in co-operation with a private company & already set up 2 plants in Ukraine.

3)    Titanium Sponge making technology – 

By using the chloride process, titanium slag can be converted into titanium sponge.  Chlorine is available from the caustic soda plants.  In this process, titanium slag is made into briquettes & then treated with chlorine and magnesium, to make the sponge.  This way, both titanium sponge & magnesium chloride are produced. From magnesium chloride, magnesium metal can be produced & chlorine can be recovered (which is called “CROLL process”).  The institute gives this technology& set up 2 plants for titanium sponge in China, 1 in Ukraine & 1 in Russia.

In China, the Institute has given such plants in Sichuan & Yunnan provinces.

4)     Titanium metal & alloy making technology –

From titanium sponge, another institute in Ukraine gives titanium metal making technology, using electron beam melting.

Since titanium is an active substance,it’s sponge gets easily oxidized into oxides & nitrites of titanium, when melted in the normal furnace.  Hence, we need a vacuum furnace to melt titanium.

Titanium is a soft metal & needs alloying (titanium is always an alloy).  There are other technologies for making titanium alloys from titanium sponge, such as vacuum induction furnace, but it is very difficult to achieve the required quality.  One more technology is vacuum arc furnace, where the alloying elements like aluminium, manganese & vanadium are added through a single arc.  This technology also has many difficulties.

Hence, the institute has developed a progressive and new method of Electron Beam technology over a long period of time, where the titanium sponge is melted with a special vacuum furnace with Electron Beam.  Subsequently, the molten titanium is casted into the required shapes.

This process ensures guaranteed composition of the alloys, which is performed by the alloy component evaporation from the melt in vacuum & ingot solidification at the Electron Beam melting, with an intermediate crucible.  This allows forecasting the composition & structure of the produced titanium alloy ingots.

Application of an intermediate crucible eliminates the penetration of high & low inclusions in the ingots / moulds.

The Institute can give the complete technology to make different types of titanium alloys as required for aircraft, space, cars, ships & even bicycles.  In their process, there is no residual hydrogen, oxygen or nitrogen in the alloys.  There is also no restriction on the plant capacities.

Click here for more details about  Electron beam melting technology for titanium alloys

5)  Titanium alloy welding technology –   

The institute also gives the perfect titanium welding technology.  The traditional welding wires have deformation.  There are gas defects also, which affect the life cycle of titanium. The Institute developed a very good technology for welding the titanium alloys, which is called “arc welding, using thick tungsten – inert gas welding”.  There are no gas bubbles after welding. If we weld on one side, the other side also gets welded.

6)    Zirconium-related technologies –

The institute can also give zirconium-related technologies.  They are specialized in non-ferrous metallurgy, such as titanium, manganese, zirconium & nickel. They have jointly given the Ferro nickel making technology to Sino Steel, China.