Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

A Cleaner, Cheaper Route to Titanium

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the better-stronger-faster dept.

Burlap writes "Using technology developed at MIT, 4-person startup Avanti Metal hopes to reduce the cost of producing Titanium from the current $40 per pound to a mere $3. The article discusses how a special combinations of oxides and electrolysis separates the titanium metal from the Earth's abundant titanium oxide ore."

4 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I'm surprised by AtomicBomb · · Score: 5, Informative

    The concept is not new: basically the same as the Hall cell for aluminium production. But, I believe finding a suitable salt is not that easy. In the case of aluminium, cyrolite is used. In titanium, what's the suitable one? Suppose you mix Ti2O3 with another metal salt, you may get another metal instead of Ti. Needless to say, the whole electrolysis process gets quite messy at 1500+ degC.

  2. Re:Aluminium? by Deadstick · · Score: 5, Informative

    Twice as strong vs 1.6 times as heavy, higher melting point, better resistance to corrosion and fatigue.

    rj

  3. Re:I'm surprised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Another cleaner, cheaper route for Titanium production has been developed in Cambridge, UK.

    Reach about the FFC Process for Titanium Extraction.

  4. Re:Aluminium? by Frangible · · Score: 5, Informative

    Several reasons:

    1. Insulation; titanium is less condutive of heat/electricity. This can be a benefit or detriment depending on the application.
    2. Strength; the same amount of Ti/Al alloys to support a specific load can be made with a lighter weight of Ti. An equal volume of Ti is heavier than Al, though.
    3. Fatigue life; titanium, like iron, has infinite fatigue life. Aluminum does not. What this means is you can make a spring from Ti but Al will fail if repeatedly stressed.
    4. Corrosion; titanium is more corrosion resistant than Al because it oxidizes rapidly in contact with air
    5. Social reasons; titanium has significantly more percieved value than Al, moreso than the material differences. Further Ti has a unique color as well.

    Sometimes aluminum will still be better; in many applications the relative strength difference doesn't matter and thus a lighter equivalent volume of Al is advantageous. Also, the high conductivity of Al is a good thing in many situations.

    The most common Ti alloy, Ti-6Al-4V, actually has 6% Al in it.