The plasma-enabled recovery of titanium by the electrolysis of titanate slags

The ductility and formability of titanium is largely dependent on its oxygen content; primary Ti is manufactured under conditions to ensure a low-oxygen metal. Secondary or scrap Ti is frequently contaminated with oxygen, and this limits its usefulness and value. Also, the supply of secondary metal is fixed and limited. This limited supply precludes its use for large-quantity applications. The process proposed here is designed to directly form solid Ti dispersed in a liquid-oxide slag phase by slag electrolysis. The slag and metal are melted by raising the temperature above the melting point of Ti to separate the metal from the slag. Because the metal is in chemical equilibrium with the oxide slag, the metal will contain some oxygen. The metal can then cast directly into useful shapes or parts.