Subchloride aluminothermic extraction of titanium from chlorides

• Published in: Theoretical foundations of chemical engineering Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 684 - 687
• Main Authors: Parfenov, O. G., Pashkov, G. L., Zakirov, R. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SP MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 01.10.2008
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Selected Papers from the Journal Khimicheskaya Tekhnologiya; Aluminum Chloride; TiCl; Titanium Tetrachloride; Metallic Aluminum; Titanium Sponge
• ISSN: 0040-5795; 1608-3431
• DOI: 10.1134/S0040579508050357

The results of thermodynamic calculations and experiments show the possibility of obtaining (i) titanium aluminide (TiAl 3 ) by reducing titanium tetrachloride or subchloride (TiCl x , x ≤ 4) vapor by liquid aluminum and (ii) metallic titanium by reducing titanium chloride vapors with gaseous aluminum subchlorides (AlCl x , x < 3) in a temperature range of 1040–1140 K. In all cases, the reduction proceeds via the formation of titanium dichloride, which is unstable in this temperature interval. It is pointed out that there are good prospects for obtaining ultradisperse particles of metallic titanium and its alloys by mixing the vapors of titanium tetrachloride, aluminum subchlorides, and doping metal (e.g., vanadium) chlorides at the indicated temperatures. It is also possible to use titanium aluminide particles for the reduction of TiCl x . A comparative analysis of alumino-, magnesio-and sodium-thermic processes reveals the advantages of aluminum and its subchlorides for the production of cheap titanium-based structural alloys.