US3825415A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for the production of liquid titanium from the reaction of vaporized titanium tetrachloride and a reducing metal
Assignee: Electricity Council
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Filing: 1972-07-21
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Granted: 1974-07-23
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Expires: 1992-07-21
Abstract
Abstract Elemental titanium is produced by reducing titanium tetrachloride using an alkali or alkaline earth metal, preferably sodium. The reaction is carried out in the vapour phase, a carrier gas, preferably hydrogen, being heated by an electric arc and injected into the reaction chamber to heat the sodium and titanium tetrachloride which are injected as liquids or vapours. The reaction is carried out at a temperature above the melting point of titanium, typically between 1,800* and 2,500*C, the titanium falling as a liquid to the bottom of the reaction chamber and the chloride of the reducing metal and other unwanted products being removed in vapour form. The chloride of the reducing metal is passed through a heat exchanger for heating material passing into the chamber and is electrolysed to provide the required alkali or alkaline earth metal.
Inventors
- 👤 P Johnston
- 👤 J Lawton
- 👤 I Parker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 19:37
CPC Classifications
C; C22; C22B; C22B34/00; C22B34/10; C22B34/12; C22B34/1263; C22B34/1268; C22B34/1272
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reducing metal employed is sodium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reducing metal employed is magnesium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reducing metal employed is potassium or calcium or strontium or barium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reaction is carried out at a temperature between 1,800* and 2,500*C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chloride of the reducing metal produced as a reaction product is electrolyzed in a separate process to provide the reducing metal for feeding into the reactor vessel in vaporized form.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the titanium tetrachloride and the reducing metal are vaporized before injection into the reactor vessel using a heat exchanger extracting heat from the vaporized chloride and from the liquid titanium passing out of the reactor vessel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the titanium is withdrawn in liquid form from a reactor vessel in which the reaction is carried out and wherein the impurities and other reaction products are withdrawn in vapor form with the hydrogen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the titanium is at least partially solidified in a reactor vessel in which the reaction is carried out before being withdrawn and wherein the impurities and other reaction products are withdrawn in vapor form with the hydrogen.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
174 words
A method for the production of elemental titanium from titanium tetrachloride comprising the steps of passing hydrogen gas through an electric arc to heat the gas, injecting the hydrogen gas through a nozzle constituted by the arc electrodes into the top of a reaction chamber, passing an electric current through a coil around the nozzle to cause the gas stream to swirl, injecting sodium and titanium tetrachloride in vapor form into said chamber near the top thereof in a direction to intersect the hydrogen gas stream to effect a chemical reaction in the vapor phase, the arc discharge being such as to maintain a temperature between 1,800* and 2,500*C. in the reaction chamber, collecting the titanium in liquid form in the bottom of said chamber, withdrawing the sodium chloride, produced by the reaction, in vapor form from said chamber, passing the sodium chloride through a heat exchanger to heat the sodium and titanium tetrachloride before the injection into said chamber, and electrolysing the sodium chloride to produce metallic sodium for injection into said chamber.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
112 words
An apparatus for the production of titanium from titanium tetrachloride comprising a reaction chamber, a nozzle including electrodes for an electric arc in the top of said chamber, means for injecting hydrogen as a carrier gas through said nozzles between said electrodes to be heated by an arc between the electrodes, means for injecting a vaporized reducing metal selected from the group comprising alkali and alkaline earth metals and vaporized titanium tetrachloride into the top of said chamber in directions to intersect the hot hydrogen stream emerging from said nozzle, means for drawing off the vaporized chloride of the reducing metal from said chamber and means for withdrawing titanium from said chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said nozzle is arranged to direct the hot carrier gas downwardly into the top of a reaction chamber and wherein the titanium tetrachloride and the reducing metal are injected inwardly through the side wall near the top of said chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as claimed iN claim 11 wherein heat exchanger means are provided for transferring heat from the materials leaving the reactor vessel to the materials injected into the reactor vessel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 and having means for electrolysing the chloride of the reducing metal taken from the reactor vessel to produce the reducing metal for injecting into the reactor vessel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 and having an arc chamber containing said electrodes, which electrodes are concentric and shaped to form said nozzle leading into said reactor vessel, ports being provided in said arc chamber for the injection of the hydrogen gas.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said arc chamber is cylindrical and wherein said ports are arranged tangentially.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein an electrically energized coil surrounds the electrodes to cause the arc to swirl.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-07-22 | 1978-01-21 | 1978-07-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-07-22 | 1982-01-21 | 1982-07-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-07-22 | 1986-01-21 | 1986-07-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |