Csir

Jaco Johannes Swanepoel

David Steyn Van Vuuren

Salomon Johannes Oosthuizen

The invention provides a process for the production of crystalline titanium powder containing single crystals or agglomerates of single crystals having an average crystal size (by volume) greater than 1 &#x3bc;m, said process including reacting a titanium chloride species, preferably titanium dichloride, and reducing metal in a continuous back-mix reactor to produce a free flowing suspension of titanium powder in molten chloride salt wherein: i. both the titanium chloride species and the reducing metal are dissolved in a molten chloride salt and fed to the reactor containing a chloride salt of the reducing metal; ii. the average feed ratio of the titanium chloride species and reducing metal to the continuous back-mix reactor is within 1%, preferably within 0.1%, of the stoichiometric ratio required to fully reduce the titanium chloride salt to titanium metal; iii. the concentration of titanium powder in the fluid suspension of titanium powder in molten salt in the continuous back-mix reactor is between 2 and 23 mass %; and iv. The reducing metal is lithium, sodium, magnesium, or calcium.

Process for the production of crystalline titanium powder

A method of upgrading a titaniferous material includes nitriding and reducing a titaniferous material which includes TiOand Fe oxides in the presence of nitrogen and carbon to convert the TiOto TiN and to reduce most of the Fe oxides to Fe. The Fe is oxidized in preference to the TiN to form Feions, whereafter the Feions are removed to produce an upgraded low-Fe TiN bearing material.

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Pretoria, South Africa

Jaco Johannes Swanepoel