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US 11,280,013 B2Granted
System and method for extraction and refining of titanium
AssigneeUniversal Achemetal Titanium, LLC
InventorsJames R. Cox, Chanaka L. De Alwis, Benjamin A. Kohler, Michael G. Lewis
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Abstract
A method to extract and refine metal products from metal-bearing ores, including a method to extract and refine titanium products. Titanium products can be extracted from titanium-bearing ores with TiO2 and impurity levels unsuitable for conventional methods.
Claims70
A method, comprising:
- (a) heating a chemical blend to a temperature of between 1500° C.-1800° C. wherein the chemical blend comprises:
- a titanium-bearing ore comprising titanium oxide;
- an Al reducing agent, configured to reduce the titanium-bearing ore to a titanium product;
- and
- a CaF2 viscosity agent;
- (b) initiating an extraction reaction in the chemical blend to form:
- (1) a titanium product, and (2) a residual slag;
- and
- (c) separating the residual slag from the titanium product;
- (d) configuring the titanium product from the extraction reaction as an anode in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte;
- (e) heating the electrolyte to provide a molten electrolyte, wherein the molten electrolyte is retained in a reaction vessel and is in contact with the anode and a cathode;
- (f) directing a current from the anode, through the molten electrolyte bath to the cathode to deposit a refined titanium product on the cathode.
9 more elements
A method, comprising:
- (a) applying a thermal extraction process to a titanium-bearing ore, wherein the thermal extraction process comprises:
- 1. heating a chemical blend to a temperature of between 1500° C.-1800° C. to initiate an extraction reaction, wherein the chemical blend comprises:
- a titanium-bearing ore comprising titanium oxide, an Al reducing agent;
- and a viscosity agent;
- and
- 2. reacting the chemical blend to form:
- (1) a titanium product, and (2) a residual slag;
- (b) separating the residual slag from the titanium product;
- and
- (c) refining the titanium product obtained from the thermal extraction process in an electrochemical separation process, wherein the electrochemical separation process comprises:
- 1. heating an electrolyte consisting of halide salts of alkali metals, halide salts of alkali earth metals, or combinations thereof to a temperature between 600° C. and 900° C. to provide a molten electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte is retained in a reaction vessel;
- 2. applying an electrical differential between an anode and a cathode to deposit titanium on the cathode, wherein the anode and cathode are configured in the reaction vessel in contact with the electrolyte;
- and
- 3. recovering a refined titanium product from the reaction vessel, wherein the refined titanium product comprises at least 90 wt. % titanium;
- further wherein the refined titanium product is configured, via (a) and (b) as a fibrous, fine structured dendritic morphology with a surface area of between 0.1 m2/g and 2.5 m2/g.
12 more elements
A method, comprising:
- (a) applying a thermal extraction process to a titanium-bearing ore, wherein the thermal extraction process comprises:
- 1. heating a chemical blend to initiate an extraction reaction at a temperature of between 1500° C. and 1800° C., wherein the chemical blend comprises:
- a titanium-bearing ore comprising titanium oxide, a reducing agent;
- and a viscosity agent;
- 2. reacting the chemical blend to form:
- (1) a titanium product, and (2) a residual slag, wherein via the viscosity agent, the titanium product is separated from the residual slag into two layers;
- (b) refining the titanium product obtained from the thermal extraction process in an electrochemical separation process, wherein the electrochemical separation process comprises:
- 1. heating an electrolyte consisting essentially of:
- halide salts of alkali metals, halide salts of alkali earth metals, or combinations thereof, to a temperature between 600° C. and 900° C. to provide a molten electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte is retained in a reaction vessel;
- 2. applying an electrical differential between an anode and a cathode to deposit titanium on the cathode, wherein the anode and cathode are configured in the reaction vessel in contact with the electrolyte;
- and
- 3. recovering a refined titanium product from the reaction vessel, wherein the refined titanium product comprises at least 90 wt. % titanium;
- and
- (c) compressing the refined titanium product in a mold to form a near-net shaped titanium part.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.