Continuous and semi-continuous process of manufacturing titanium hydride using titanium chlorides of different valency

Abstract

The invention relates to the manufacture of titanium hydride powder using continuous or semi-continuous process, and using titanium slag or synthetic rutile as raw materials, while hydrogen, titanium tetrachloride, titanium trichloride, titanium dichloride, and hydrogen chloride are participate as intermediate reaction products. The continuous comprises: (a) reduction of TiClto low titanium chlorides followed by cooling a mixture, (b) separating of residual TiClfrom solid low chlorides by heating the mixture in argon or vacuum up to 150° C. followed by removing the titanium tetrachloride from the mixture, (c) dissociation of TiClto TiClat 450° C. in vacuum followed by removal of gaseous titanium tetrachloride from the reaction zone, condensation to the liquid, and returning back into the reaction retort, (d) dissociation of TiClin vacuum at 750-850° C. to manufacture fine powder of metallic titanium and titanium tetrachloride, whereby hydrogen heated up to 1000° C. is used to accelerate this reaction, and (e) saturation of the fine titanium powder by hydrogen at 400-640° C. to manufacture final product of titanium hydride powder which is free of oxygen or nitrogen. The semi-continuous process includes the Kroll's process as the very first step.