Multistage Deep Reduction Titanium Powder Preparation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for preparing titanium powder, such as using titanium sponge, result in high costs, impurities, and poor quality due to secondary pollution, undesirable size distribution, and low activity, limiting its application, especially in the growing 3D printing industry.
Innovation Solution
A multistage deep reduction process involving self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, followed by acid leaching and purification, to produce titanium powder with low oxygen content, utilizing titanium dioxide and magnesium or calcium as reducing agents, which reduces raw material costs and energy consumption while improving purity and particle size control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If titanium sponge is used as raw material for industrial production of titanium powder by physical and mechanical crushing or hydrogenation-dehydrogenation method, then titanium powder can be obtained, but the titanium powder suffers from secondary pollution by impurities, undesirable size distribution, poor activity, and high costs
Solution Approach 1:
The reduction process is divided into multiple stages: first-time reduction to obtain intermediate product, then multistage deep reduction to achieve deep reduction product, and finally acid leaching and purification. This segmentation allows progressive removal of impurities and control of particle size, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the reduction process by using metal powder (Mg, Ca, Al) as reducing agents instead of traditional hydrogenation methods. The multistage reduction with controlled temperature and time parameters enables production of high-purity titanium powder with desirable particle size distribution and activity, while reducing manufacturing costs.
2Manufacturing precision
If titanium sponge is used as raw material, then titanium powder can be produced, but impurities in the titanium sponge have a great effect on the performance of the titanium powder
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing acid leaching (HCl treatment) before the main reduction process. This preliminary leaching step removes impurities from the titanium oxide raw material, preventing them from contaminating the final titanium powder product, thus achieving high purity with minimal harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of impurities in titanium sponge into a beneficial process by using acid leaching to selectively remove impurities. The impurity-containing titanium sponge is treated with HCl to dissolve impurities, transforming the harmful presence of impurities into a controlled purification process that yields high-purity titanium powder.
3Productivity
If self-propagating reaction method is used to prepare titanium powder, then the process flow is short, costs are low, and product properties are good, but the process requires specific conditions and equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using self-propagating reaction where the reduction process is initiated by a small amount of external energy (ignition source) and then proceeds automatically without continuous external energy input. The reaction propagates through the material itself, eliminating the need for complex continuous heating systems and reducing equipment requirements while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical and thermal processing systems with a chemical self-propagating reaction. Instead of using complex mechanical crushing and multiple thermal treatment stages, the self-propagating reduction reaction chemically transforms the raw material directly into the desired product, simplifying equipment requirements while improving process efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves high-purity, fine-grained, and highly active titanium powder with controlled size distribution, suitable for applications like slag formation and deoxygenation, while being cost-effective and energy-efficient, aligning with industrial production needs.
Implementation Method 1
adding the mixture in a self-propagating reaction furnace, after reacted materials are cooled, obtaining an intermediate product of which low-valence titanium oxides TixO are dispersed in an MgO matrix
Implementation Method 2
leaching the intermediate product with a hydrochloric acid as a leaching solution to obtain a filtrate and a leached product, removing the filtrate, washing the leached product, and performing a vacuum drying to obtain a low-valence titanium oxide TixO precursor
Implementation Method 3
performing the second-time deep reduction for 1-6 h, after the second-time deep reduction, obtaining the block-shaped semi-finished products, cooling the block-shaped semi-finished products along with the furnace to obtain a deep reduction product
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method for preparing a reduced titanium powder by a multistage deep reduction, including the following steps of: uniformly mixing a dried titanium dioxide powder with a magnesium powder to obtain a mixture, adding the mixture in a self-propagating reaction furnace, triggering a self-propagating reaction, obtaining an intermediate product of which low-valence titanium oxides TixO are dispersed in an MgO matrix, leaching the intermediate product with a hydrochloric acid as a leaching solution, performing filtering, washing and vacuum drying to obtain a low-valence titanium oxide TixO precursor, uniformly mixing the low-valence titanium oxide TixO precursor with a calcium powder, performing a pressing to obtain semi-finished products, placing the semi-finished products in a vacuum reduction furnace for a second-time deep reduction, and leaching a deep reduction product with a hydrochloric acid as a leaching solution so as to obtain the reduced titanium powder.