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New Technology Produces Cheaper Tantalum and Titanium

Posted by Unknown on from the cheap-thinkpads-for-all dept.

Billy the Mountain writes "A small UK company is bringing new technology online that could reduce the prices of tantalum and titanium ten-fold. According to this piece in The Economist: A tantalising prospect, the key is a technique similar to smelting aluminum with a new twist: The metallic oxides are not melted as with aluminum but blended in powder form with a molten salt that serves as a medium and electrolyte. This technology is known as the FFC Cambridge Process. Other metals include Neodymium, Tungsten, and Vanadium."

2 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Re:the problem with titanium by jbeaupre · · Score: 4, Informative

    I work with titanium. Buying 500 kg this week. It's not that bad. I'd use more of it if it were cheaper.

    You want to talk hard to work with, try gamma titanium aluminide. Blah! And I'm sure there is far worse stuff. Plutonium?

    --
    The world is made by those who show up for the job.
  2. "Reduce the prices ten-fold"?? by 1u3hr · · Score: 4, Informative

    Reduce the prices ten-fold

    Really? I think you're trying to say "reduce by 90%".

    Or you could have just quoted TFA : "for less than a tenth of such powderâ(TM)s current price". But that's The Economist, their editors actually care about both the English language and making sense.