Abstract: A process of producing metal that includes adding a quantity of a alkoxide (M(OR)x) or another metal salt to a cathode compartment of an electrolytic cell and electrolyzing the cell. This electrolyzing causes a quantity of alkali metal ions to migrate into the cathode compartment and react with the metal alkoxide, thereby producing metal and an alkali metal alkoxide. In some embodiments, the alkali metal is sodium such that the sodium ions will pass through a sodium ion selective membrane, such as a NaSICON membrane, into the cathode compartment.

Abstract: An “in-line” device to continuously remove dissolved gasses from liquid metal is described. The device described herein may contain an apparatus to create a partial vacuum, one or more ultrasonic vibrators below the surface of the liquid metal to evolve gas bubbles within the metal, and a high-frequency vibrating metal plate which the fluid must pass over at a low depth. The device may be used to create high quality metals, including aluminum and aluminum alloy for a number of demanding applications such as pharmaceutical, semiconductor, foil, and aerospace applications including Aluminum-Lithium alloys.

Abstract: Titanium tetrahalide (preferably titanium tetrachloride) is reduced to titanium metal particles by reaction with an alkali metal dispersed in a non-aqueous, organic ionic liquid. The dispersion is enhanced using high-shear mixing. By-product alkali metal chloride salt(s) is dissolved in the ionic liquid. Precipitated titanium metal powder is readily separated from the ionic liquid solution as a product. And the separated solution may be subjected to electrolysis to recover chlorine gas, electrodeposited alkali metal, and the ionic liquid. Other metal halides may be added with the titanium halide to form titanium-based alloys or other titanium based products.

Abstract: A method for forming a titanium-aluminum based alloy in which titanium subchlorides and aluminum that have already been heated in a first zone are moved into and heated in an intermediate zone to a temperature at which at least a portion of the material can accrete and form a cake on a surface located in the intermediate zone. The non-caked material is moved to and heated in a second zone to form the titanium-aluminum based alloy. The caked material is periodically removed from the surface in the intermediate zone and heated with the non-caked material in the second zone.

Abstract: A method for producing a titanium-aluminum alloy containing less than about 15 wt. % aluminum, comprising: a first step in which an amount of titanium subchlorides at or in excess of a stoichiometric amount required to produce the titanium-aluminum alloy are reduced by aluminum to form a reaction mixture comprising elemental titanium, and then a second step in which the reaction mixture comprising elemental titanium is heated to form the titanium-aluminum alloy, whereby reaction kinetics of the method are controlled such that reactions resulting in formation of titanium aluminides are minimized.

Abstract: A titanium metal or a titanium alloy having submicron titanium boride substantially uniformly dispersed therein and a method of making same is disclosed. Ti power of Ti alloy powder has dispersed within the particles forming the powder titanum boride which is other than whisker-shaped or spherical substantially uniformly dispersed therein.

Abstract: The invention relates to the manufacture of titanium hydride powder using continuous or semi-continuous process, and using titanium slag or synthetic rutile as raw materials, while hydrogen, titanium tetrachloride, titanium trichloride, titanium dichloride, and hydrogen chloride are participate as intermediate reaction products. The continuous comprises: (a) reduction of TiCl4 to low titanium chlorides followed by cooling a mixture, (b) separating of residual TiCl4 from solid low chlorides by heating the mixture in argon or vacuum up to 150° C. followed by removing the titanium tetrachloride from the mixture, (c) dissociation of TiCl3 to TiCl2 at 450° C. in vacuum followed by removal of gaseous titanium tetrachloride from the reaction zone, condensation to the liquid, and returning back into the reaction retort, (d) dissociation of TiCl2 in vacuum at 750-850° C. to manufacture fine powder of metallic titanium and titanium tetrachloride, whereby hydrogen heated up to 1000° C.

Abstract: A process for producing titanium metal sponge from an exothermic reaction between titanium tetrachloride vapor and molten magnesium vapor, and reclaiming reactive metals from by-products of the exothermic reaction.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for producing Ti or a Ti alloy through reduction of TiCl4 by Ca, which can produce the high-purity metallic Ti or high-purity Ti alloy. A molten salt containing CaCl2 and having Ca dissolved therein is held in a reactor vessel, and a metallic chloride containing TiCl4 is reacted with Ca in the molten salt to generate Ti particles or Ti alloy particles in a molten CaCl2 solution, which allows enhancement of a feed rate of TiCl4 which is of a raw material of Ti, and also allows a continuous operation. Therefore, the high-purity metallic Ti or the high-purity Ti alloy can economically be produced with high efficiency. Further, the method by the present invention eliminates the need of replenishment of expensive metallic Ca and of the operation for separately handling Ca which is highly reactive and difficult to handle.

Abstract: A system and method of producing an elemental material or an alloy from a halide of the elemental material or halide mixtures. The vapor halide of an elemental material or halide mixtures are introduced into a liquid phase of a reducing metal of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or mixtures thereof present in excess of the amount needed to reduce the halide vapor to the elemental material or alloy resulting in an exothermic reaction between the vapor halide and the liquid reducing metal. Particulates of the elemental material or alloy and particulates of the halide salt of the reducing metal are produced along with sufficient heat to vaporize substantially all the excess reducing metal. Thereafter, the vapor of the reducing metal is separated from the particulates of the elemental material or alloy and the particulates of the halide salt of the reducing metal before the particulate reaction products are separated from each other.

Abstract: A method of controlling the size and morphology of powder made by the subsurface injection of a halide vapor into a liquid metal is disclosed. A reaction zone is established and the temperature thereof or the time the powder remains therein is controlled to change powder characteristics.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making alloys or ceramics by the subsurface injection of an equilibrium vapor of a boiling liquid of the ceramic or alloys constituents is disclosed. Various powders and products are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of an elemental material, comprising the step of reacting a halide of the elemental material with a reducing agent in solid form in a fluidized bed reactor at a reaction temperature which is below the melting temperature of the reducing agent. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elemental material is titanium and the titanium is produced in powder form. The invention also relates to the production of alloys or intermetallics of the elemental materials.

Abstract: A method of producing an elemental material or an alloy thereof from a halide or mixtures of halides is provided. The halide or mixtures thereof are contacted with a reducing gas in the presence of reductant material, preferably in sufficient quantity to convert the halide to the elemental material or alloy and to maintain the temperature of the reactants at a temperature lower than the boiling point of the reductant material at atmospheric pressure or the sintering temperature of the produced elemental material or alloy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of an elemental material, comprising the step of reacting a halide of the elemental material with a reducing agent in solid form in a fluidized bed reactor at a reaction temperature which is below the melting temperature of the reducing agent. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elemental material is titanium and the titanium is produced in powder form. The invention also relates to the production of alloys or intermetallics of the elemental materials.

Abstract: A method of producing an elemental material or an alloy thereof from a halide or mixtures of halides is provided. The halide or mixtures thereof are contacted with a reducing gas in the presence of reductant material, preferably in sufficient quantity to convert the halide to the elemental material or alloy and to maintain the temperature of the reactants at a temperature lower than the boiling point of the reductant material at atmospheric pressure or the sintering temperature of the produced elemental material or alloy.

Abstract: A method of producing a non-metal element or a metal or an alloy thereof from a halide or mixtures thereof. The halide or mixtures thereof are contacted with a stream of liquid alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or mixtures thereof in sufficient quantity to convert the halide to the non-metal or the metal or alloy and to maintain the temperature of the reactants at a temperature lower than the lesser of the boiling point of the alkali or alkaline earth metal at atmospheric pressure or the sintering temperature of the produced non-metal or metal or alloy. A continuous method is disclosed, particularly applicable to titanium.

Abstract: A method of producing a non-metal element or a metal or an alloy thereof from a halide or mixtures thereof. The halide or mixtures thereof are contacted with a stream of liquid alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or mixtures thereof in sufficient quantity to convert the halide to the non-metal or the metal or alloy and to maintain the temperature of the reactants at a temperature lower than the lesser of the boiling point of the alkali or alkaline earth metal at atmospheric pressure or the sintering temperature of the produced non-metal or metal or alloy. A continuous method is disclosed, particularly applicable to titanium.

Abstract: A method of producing a non-metal element or a metal or an alloy thereof from a halide or mixtures thereof. The halide or mixtures thereof are contacted with a stream of liquid alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or mixtures thereof in sufficient quantity to convert the halide to the non-metal or the metal or alloy and to maintain the temperature of the reactants at a temperature lower than the lesser of the boiling point of the alkali or alkaline earth metal at atmospheric pressure or the sintering temperature of the produced non-metal or metal or alloy. A continuous method is disclosed, particularly applicable to titanium.

Abstract: A method for refining a titanium metal containing ore such as rutile or illmenite or mixtures to produce titanium ingots or titanium alloys and compounds of titanium involves production of titanium tetrachloride as a molten slag, by processing the ore in a chlorination procedure and removing various impurities by a distillation or other procedure to form a relatively pure titanium tetrachloride (TiCl.sub.4). Thereafter, the titanium tetrachloride is introduced into the plasma focal point of a plasma reactor in a molten sodium environment for the initial reduction of gas phase titanium into titanium molten drops which are collected by a set of skulls. Thereafter, further processing are carried out in higher vacuum and the titanium is heated by electron beam guns in order to maximize titanium purity and, in a final optional stage, alloying compounds are added under yet higher vacuum and high temperature conditions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of metallic titanium, characterized in that the process comprises reducing a titanium-fluorine compound selected from titanium tetrafluoride and any hexafluorotitanate soluble in a molten fluoroaluminate, with metallic aluminum in a molten fluoroaluminate. A process for the production of intermediates useful in the processing ilmenite and related minerals is also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously producing metals such as zirconium, hafnium, titanium, niobium, vanadium, silicon and tantalum. The corresponding metal halide is reacted with a metallic reducing agent such as aluminum, calcium, magnesium and sodium in a reactor where the reaction takes place at a temperature where the metal reducing agent is below its vaporization temperature and where the metal halide is above its vaporization temperature. The metal formed by the reaction is recovered from the reactor by collecting it in a pool of molten product metal contained in a cold wall induction heated receptacle in the reactor from which the metal product is removed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of metallic titanium, characterized in that the process comprises reducing a titanium-fluorine compound selected from titanium tetrafluoride and any hexafluorotitanate soluble in a molten fluoroaluminate, with metallic aluminum in a molten fluoroaluminate. A process for the production of intermediates useful in the processing ilmenite and related minerals is also described.

Abstract: A continuous process for producing a granular metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr or Hf under conditions that provide orderly growth of the metal free of halide inclusions comprising:a) dissolving a reducing metal selected from the group consisting of Na, Mg, Li or K in their respective halide salts to produce a reducing molten salt stream;b) preparing a second molten salt stream containing the halide salt of Ti, Zr or Hf;c) mixing and reacting the two molten streams of steps a) and b) in a continuous stirred tank reactor;d) wherein steps a) through c) are conducted at a temperature range of from about 800.degree. C. to about 1100.degree. C. so that a weight percent of equilibrium solubility of the reducing metal in its respective halide salt varies from about 1.6 weight percent at about 900.degree. C. to about 14.4 weight percent at about 1062.degree. C.

Abstract: Normally reject sponge metal fines, especially those produced by the crushing and screening of a regulus of zirconium and/or hafnium metal sponge, are added to the initial reduction charge of the metal tetrachloride and magnesium metal, and the so-modified charge is then passed through the conventional reduction and vacuum distillation steps to produce a regulus of the metal that has the reject fines incorporated therein by sintering.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the reduction of zirconium and hafnium tetrachloride by magnesium or sodium metal and, more particularly, to an improved reaction vessel design for the reduction reaction including a novel liquid metal seal.

Abstract: This is a method of reducing zirconium chloride to a metal product by introducing zirconium chloride into a molten salt bath containing at least one alkali metal chloride and at least one alkaline earth metal chloride; and electrochemically reducing alkaline earth metal chloride to a metallic alkaline earth metal in the molten salt bath, with the reduced alkaline earth metal reacting with the zirconium chloride to produce zirconium metal. By using this electrochemical-metallothermic reduction, zirconium metal is produced and insoluble subchlorides of zirconium in the metal product are generally avoided.Preferably, the molten salt in the molten salt bath consists essentially of a mixture of lithium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and zirconium or hafnium chloride.