Titanium Particles

Titanium Particle Manufacturing Process

1. Metallurgical Reduction Method (Titanium Sponge Production)

Core Process: Using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) as raw material, sponge-like titanium particles are generated by magnesium thermal reduction (Kroll method) or sodium thermal reduction (Hunter method).

Characteristics: The purity of the product is 98.5%-99.7%, which needs to be processed into titanium ingots by subsequent casting, which is the basic raw material of the titanium industry.

Environmental Challenges: Solid wastes such as chlorine exhaust gas and magnesium chloride are generated in the production process, which requires gas circulation and waste recovery technologies.

2. Powder Metallurgy And Granulation Technology

Fine Particle Granulation: For fine powder titanium concentrate (-200 mesh), it is mixed with graphite powder and sprayed into the pulp waste liquid, and then extruded, sintered at high temperature (600-1200 °C) and sieved to make 200-1500μm particles, which are used for boiling chlorination to prepare titanium tetrachloride.

Preparation Of Porous Titanium: Titanium powder is mixed with wear-resistant particles (such as silicon carbide), pore-forming agents (such as ammonium bicarbonate) are added, and porous titanium materials with controllable pores are formed by pressing and sintering to improve wear resistance and biocompatibility.

3. Preparation Of Spherical Titanium Powder (For Additive Manufacturing)

RF Plasma Spheroidization: the world's first technology, irregular titanium powder is melted into spherical particles at high temperature in an inert atmosphere, with a particle size of 15-53μm, a sphericity of >99%, and a fluidity close to that of a liquid. Benefits include:

The powder rate is 65% (only 20% in the traditional process);

Inert gas is 100% recycled, reducing costs by 30%.

Application Direction: high-fluidity titanium powder for 3D printing, supporting the manufacture of complex precision components.

4. In-situ Grain Control For Additive Manufacturing

Technological Breakthroughs:

Selective Laser Melting (SLM): Ultra-fine-grained pure titanium with an elongation of up to 34.3% is achieved through high energy density laser scanning and cyclic reheat treatment.

Alternating Parametric Forming (APP): Developed by Northwestern Polytechnical University, the equiaxed crystal at the top of the melt pool is retained by alternating high/low laser power or scanning speed, and the epitaxial growth of columnar crystalline crystalline is blocked to obtain a fully equiaxed crystalline titanium alloy with anisotropy of <5% mechanical properties.

The Core Application Field Of Titanium Particles

1. Medical Implants

Advantages: good biocompatibility, non-toxic, resistant to body fluid corrosion, elastic modulus close to human bone.

Application Products: artificial joints (hip/knee joints), bone nails, dental implants, cardiovascular stents, etc.

Innovation Direction: porous titanium structure promotes bone cell growth; Degradable magnesium/iron-based alloy implants (controlled-release degradation with the addition of rare earth elements).

2. Aerospace And High-End Equipment

Lightweight Requirements: The density of titanium alloy is 60% of that of steel, and the strength is comparable, which significantly reduces the weight of the aircraft.

The amount of titanium used in commercial aircraft is up to 40 tons/plane; Military aircraft titanium accounts for more than 20%.

High-Temperature Resistant Parts: engine compressor blades (TC11 alloy resistant to 500°C), rocket nozzle (tungsten titanium gradient material).

3. Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)

Material Requirements: High-purity spherical titanium powder (particle size 15-53μm).

Application Cases:

Aero Engine Blades (Rolls-Royce Distributed Printing Network)

Smart components with integrated sensors (e.g. thermocouples embedded in the blades of our gas turbines).

4. Environmental Protection And Energy Equipment

Corrosion-Resistant Components: Flue gas desulfurization system (absorption tower lining, heat exchanger), seawater desalination unit (high-pressure pipeline, evaporator).

New Energy Components: Nuclear fusion reactor deflector (tungsten titanium material), hydrogen energy storage tank.

5. Chemicals And Daily Consumption

Chemical Equipment: Acid and alkali resistant reactors, pipelines (instead of stainless steel).

Civil Products: Golf clubs, bicycle racks, high-end coatings (titanium dioxide).