Mass production of titanium began in the 40s of the 20th century. The main feature of the metal is its strength, and due to its high melting point, it is widely used in the military and chemical industries. Compared to other metals, titanium is mined in relatively small quantities, which is associated with the high cost of processing it.
Instructions
Step 1
To obtain titanium, ores are mined with its content - ilmenite, rutile and titanite. Rutile has fewer impurities, and therefore more often serves as a raw material for mining. Often the metal is mined from slag - the melt left after processing ilmenite ores.
Step 2
If the extraction takes place from the slag, titanium is obtained in a spongy form. After that, the material is remelted into ingots in vacuum furnaces with the addition of alloying additives, if an alloy is made. Alloying - the addition of impurities that improve the properties of the material.
Step 3
Another method of obtaining titanium is magnesium-thermal. First, titanium-containing ores are mined and processed into dioxide. At very high temperatures, chlorine and magnesium are added. The resulting composition is heated in vacuum furnaces, where unnecessary elements are evaporated and only metal remains.
Step 4
The calcium hydride method consists in the fact that first a titanium hybrid is obtained by a chemical method, and then the resulting composition is separated into titanium and hydrogen. The process also takes place in vacuum furnaces. In the electrolysis method, metal is obtained using a high current.
Step 5
To obtain the material by the iodide method, the chemical interaction of the substance from which the material is obtained with iodine vapor is used. After that, the resulting substance is heated at a high temperature and the desired metal is obtained. This method is the most expensive and effective. With iodide decomposition, pure titanium is obtained, which does not contain impurities.
Step 6
In industry, the magnesium-thermal method is most often used, which allows you to get more material in a minimum amount of time and low financial costs.
