Method and apparatus for smelting titanium metal

摘要

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for smelting titanium metal by the thermal reduction of titanium oxide (TiO₂) to titanium metal (Ti); a mixed salt of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and calcium oxide (CaO) contained in a reaction vessel is heated to form a molten salt which constitutes a reaction region, the molten salt in the reaction region is electrolyzed thereby converting the molten salt into a strongly reducing molten salt containing monovalent calcium ions (Ca⁺) and/or calcium (Ca), titanium oxide is supplied to the strongly reducing molten salt and the titanium oxide is reduced and the resulting titanium metal is deoxidized by the monovalent calcium ions and/or calcium. The method and the apparatus make it feasible to produce commercially titanium metal suitable for a variety of applications from titanium oxide.