FOR 1372: Production of Titanium and Titanium-Alloys with Minimised Process Steps

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Based on the current state of technology and research, the members of the TU Clausthal, RWTH Aachen and TU Bergakademie Freiberg have set up a research group to look at the minimisation of the process steps in the production of titanium in a complex and interdisciplinary way. The main motivation behind the Research Unit is the dramatically increasing problem of diminishing sources of energy and increasing emissions, which drastically challenges the current perceptions on individual mobility and that demands entirely new traffic concepts with a clearly higher content of lightweight designs. It is the overall objective of the Research Unit to establish scientific foundations for a process with minimised steps, which can be implemented on a large industrial scale, for the production of inexpensive titanium materials as an alternative to the existing titanium technology. The project is to include everything from the conditioning of inexpensive raw materials, metal recovery and processing to the development of materials. The subgoals of the Research Unit are: (1) utilisation of potential reserves of raw materials; (2) direct recovery of titanium and titanium alloys from their raw materials without the TiCl4 detour; (3) minimisation of the number of process steps; (4) minimisation of the energy input; (5) use of new refractory ceramics for the smelters; (6) processing by means of conversion and joining as feedback for the metallurgical process steps; (7) development of suitable alloy systems; (8) efficient recycling of titanium scrap. In addition to the actual process development, the Research Unit wants to trigger future research activities in the fields of the production, processing and development of titanium materials by providing fundamental data. The research project is forecasted to include two phases of three years each. During the first phase, laboratory investigations are to show that the concepts, on which this project is based, are feasible. The proof will consist of titanium metal produced with minimised process steps from various process routes. This precursor material will be processed into low grade, technical grade, and high grade materials, which will be characterised in terms of their production and usage properties. At the same time, suitable alloy systems will be developed. The second phase will then include the transfer to the pilot plant scale with the cooperation of the titanium producing and processing industries. Other departments may join the Research Unit during this phase and additional international cooperation may be established.