US 9,789,537 B2 · Method for production of titanium ingot using scrap and apparatus therefor

Abstract

High quality titanium ingot is produced by using recovered titanium scrap as a raw material and adding additives. Scrap, each having individual information of identification and process profile information, is passed through automatic reading means to obtain the information and to store it in a data server. A calculating means calculates a combination of the scrap, titanium sponge and additives and feed rate of each of them so as to satisfy chemical composition and producing rate of a target ingot product using the individual identification pieces of information stored in the data server, during a beginning step of the ingot production, and transmits electrical signals corresponding to calculated results of the combination and the feed rates from the calculating means to a feed rate controlling means of each feed means of the titanium scrap, titanium sponge, and additives and then starting supply of them, and detecting means equipped at an extracting part of the ingot product reads actual producing rate of the ingot product, after the beginning step of the ingot production. The calculating means controls feed rate of the titanium scrap, titanium sponge, and/or additives based on the actual producing rate.

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Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for production of titanium ingot in which titanium scrap is partially employed as a raw materials of the titanium ingot, the method comprising steps of:

inputting into a data server a chemical composition of an ingot to be produced and a production rate of the ingot to be produced;
providing at least one additive to at least one additive feed hopper, the at least one additive feed hopper having a controlling device controlling a rate at which the at least one additive is supplied to a hearth;
obtaining individual information for identification by passing at least one kind of titanium scrap having individual information for identification through automatic reading means, the individual information for identification comprising information indicative of a chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap;
transmitting the obtained individual information for identification to the data server and then storing therein;
providing the at least one kind of titanium scrap to at least one titanium scrap storage, the at least one titanium scrap storage having a controlling device controlling a rate at which the at least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth;
obtaining from the data server a chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap based on the obtained individual information for identification;
transmitting from the data server to a calculating means the chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap and the chemical composition of the ingot to be produced;
providing the calculating means a chemical composition of the at least one additive;
calculating with the calculating means the rate at which the at least one additive is supplied to the hearth and the rate at which the at least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth to satisfy the chemical composition of the ingot to be produced and the production rate of the ingot to be produced by using the chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap, the chemical composition of the at least one additive, the production rate of the ingot to be produced and the chemical composition of the ingot to be produced;
transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the calculated rate at which the at least one additive is supplied to the hearth from the calculating means to the controlling device controlling the rate which the at least one additive is supplied to the hearth and then starting supply thereof at said rate;
transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the calculated rate at which the at least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth from the calculating means to the controlling device controlling the rate which the at least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth and then starting supply thereof at said rate;
starting production of the ingot to be produced by transferring a molten metal produced in the hearth from the at least one kind of titanium scrap and the at least one additive from the hearth to a mold and extracting from the mold the ingot to be produced;
reading a producing rate of the ingot to be produced by detecting means equipped at an extracting part of the mold, after starting production of the ingot to be produced.

10 more elements

A method for production of titanium ingot in which titanium scrap is employed as a portion of raw materials of the titanium ingot, the method comprising steps of:

inputting into a data server a chemical composition of an ingot to be produced and a production rate of the ingot to be produced;
providing at least one additive to at least one additive feed hopper, the at least one additive feed hopper having a controlling device controlling a rate at which the at least one additive is supplied to a hearth;
obtaining individual information for identification and including process profile information by passing at least one kind of titanium scrap having individual information for identification and process profile information through automatic reading means, the individual information for identification comprising information indicative of a chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap, the process profile information comprising information indicative of the processing performed to generate the at least one kind of titanium scrap;
transmitting the obtained individual information for identification and process profile information to the data server and then storing therein;
providing the at least one kind of titanium scrap to at least one titanium scrap storage, the at least one titanium scrap storage having a controlling device controlling a rate at which the at least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth;
obtaining from the data server a chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap based on the obtained individual information for identification;
obtaining from the data server a variance of composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap based on the obtained process profile information, the variance of composition comprising a change in chemical composition with respect to the chemical composition indicated by the individual information for identification;
transmitting from the data server to a calculating means the chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap, the variance of composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap and the chemical composition of the ingot to be produced;
providing the calculating means a stored chemical composition of the at least one additive;
estimating with the calculating means an estimated chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap by using the chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap and the variance of composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap;
calculating with the calculating means the rate at which the at least one additive is supplied to the hearth and the rate at which the least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth to satisfy the chemical composition of the ingot to be produced and the production rate of the ingot to be produced by using the estimated chemical composition of the at least one kind of titanium scrap, the chemical composition of the at least one additive, the production rate of the ingot to be produced and the chemical composition of the ingot to be produced;
transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the calculated rate at which the at least one additive is supplied to the hearth from the calculating means to the controlling device controlling the rate which the at least one additive is supplied to the hearth and then starting supply thereof at said rate;
transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the calculated rate at which the at least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth from the calculating means to the controlling device controlling the rate which the at least one kind of titanium scrap is supplied to the hearth and then starting supply thereof at said rate;
starting production of the ingot to be produced by transferring a molten metal produced in the hearth from the at least one kind of titanium scrap and the at least one additive from the hearth to a mold and extracting from the mold the ingot to be produced;
reading a producing rate of the ingot to be produced by a detecting means equipped at an extracting part of the mold, after starting production of the ingot to be produced.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description10,862 words

Summary2,474 words

#The present invention relates to a method for production of metal in which titanium metal scrap is employed, and in particular, relates to a recycling method for titanium metal scrap, a melting method for the scrap recycled, and an apparatus therefor.

#Titanium metal is primarily employed in the field of aircraft, and there is a tendency for demand for titanium material to increase because of increase in demand to replace aircraft. In addition, there also is a tendency of increased demand for titanium material for consumer use. Thus, it is necessary to satisfy the demands for titanium material worldwide.

#Under such circumstances, supply of rutile and ilmenite, which are ores as raw materials for the production of titanium metal, has not been sufficient, and improvement in the situation is required.

Brief description of the drawings11 figures

#FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a recycling system of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ingot to which the individual information for identification of the present invention is given.

#FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an inheritance of the individual information for identification in the present invention.

Detailed description8,180 words

#Hereinafter the embodiment of the invention is explained in detail.

#FIG. 1 shows a desirable example of an overall flow chart to perform the present invention. First, in an ingot melters, an ingot 11 is produced by a conventional melting furnace such as an electron beam melting furnace using a new raw material 11 or a recycled raw material 13 as mentioned below. In the present invention, individual information for identification 21 concerning the ingot is given to the titanium ingot 11 produced in the maker.

#The individual information for identification 21 mentioned here is not limited in particular as long as the information regarding the ingot 11, such as chemical composition, weight, lot number, shipping date, accession date of the ingot 11 or the like, and it means information which becomes necessary when the ingot 11 becomes scrap 13 and the scrap is used as raw material later.

Method for production of titanium ingot using scrap and apparatus therefor

Life of this patent

Method for production of titanium ingot using scrap and apparatus therefor

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims19

Description10,862 words

Drawings

Classification16 codes

Life of this patent

Description10,862 words