PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CRYSTALLINE TITANIUM POWDER

• Main Authors: VAN VUUREN DAVID STEYN, SWANEPOEL JACO JOHANNES, OOSTHUIZEN SALOMON JOHANNES
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 18.03.2015
• Subjects: CASTING; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; TRANSPORTING; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

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.