How is Titanium Made?

Titanium is a metal present in meteorites and in the sun. It is also the ninth-most abundant metal in the crust of the Earth and occurs in the minerals rutile, ilmenite sphene, titanates and iron ores. In1946, William J. Kroll showed that titanium could be produced commercially.

Charging

Ore of rutile or ilmenite, which contain elements of titanium, is collected. The ore is then charged with a chlorinator that turns the ore porous. It becomes a spongy and malleable material called titanium tetrachloride.

Purification

Oxygen is removed from the material in the form of CO or CO2. This results in a colorless material. The liquid is purified through distillation. It is then reacted with with magnesium or sodium in an inert atmosphere to produce a metallic titanium sponge. An inert atmosphere is a gaseous environment that contains little or no oxygen.

Solidification

The remaining titanium sponge is then crushed and pressed and then melted in an electrode vacuum arc furnace. A resulting ingot weighs as much as 12,000 pounds.

References

• Los Alamos National Laboratory Table of Elements: Titanium
• The Kroll Process for Refining Titanium
• Meridian Engineering & Technology: Inert Gases and Atmosphere