PRODUCTION OF POTASSIUM HEXATITANATE FIBER

PURPOSE:To produce potassium hexatitanate fiber having superior heat resistance, heat insulating property, and chemical resistance inexpensively by utilizing naturally produced rutile sand as feed material for titanium as it is basing on the melt process. CONSTITUTION:(A) Potassium oxide (any compd. producing K2O by oxidation may be used also) was mixed with (B) 1.5-2 times mole naturally produced rutile sand (or anatase)(Ti, M)O2 (where M is metal impurity such as Al, Cr, etc.), and obtd. mixture was melted at ca. 1,100 deg.C, and the melt was drawn to fiber and solidified by cooling. Produced fibrous crystalline potassium titanate K2O.2(Ti, M)O2 having laminar structure is extracted with water to remove a part of K2O component to obtain K2(Ti, M)6O13, which is heated thereafter at >=800 deg.C. Thus, the laminar structure is transformed to tunnel structure forming potassium hexatitanate fiber.