The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 29, 2014
Filed:
Dec. 23, 2011
David Steyn Van Vuuren, Pretoria, ZA;
Salomon Johannes Oosthuizen, Pretoria, ZA;
David Steyn Van Vuuren, Pretoria, ZA;
Salomon Johannes Oosthuizen, Pretoria, ZA;
CSIR, Pretoria, ZA;
Abstract
The invention provides a crystalline Ti powder produced in a molten salt medium, said powder comprising predominantly particles of single α-Ti crystals that are directly applicable in powder metallurgy. The invention extends to continuous process for the production of titanium powder in a molten salt medium by known reaction mechanisms, said process including the steps of reacting in a first reaction zone in a molten salt TiCl4 with reactants selected from Ti particles, a substoichiometric quantity of reducing agent, and a mixture of titanium metal and a substoichiometric amount of reducing agent, to form Ti sub-chloride, transferring Ti sub-chloride containing salts from the first reaction zone into a second reaction zone, which is electrically, ionically, or both electrically and ionically isolated from the first reaction zone, reacting in the second reaction zone the Ti sub-chloride with molten reducing metal to form dispersed Ti powder and molten salt, and withdrawing a portion of a suspension of Ti powder in molten salt from the second reaction zone to downstream processing units to separate the Ti powder from the salt and optionally recycle a portion of said Ti powder in molten salt to the first reaction zone. The invention further extends to an apparatus for the process of the invention.