Preparation of titanium powder from chips by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis hydrogenation and thermal dehydrogenation

Abstract

Efficient processing of titanium production waste, in particular chips, is one of the key tasks of the titanium industry. The results of new recycling method for the production of titanium powder from chips via self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) hydrogenation–thermal dehydrogenation process were presented. Hydrogenation was carried out in a sealed reactor in the combustion wave mode at an initial hydrogen pressure of 2.5 MPa and a pressure at combustion of at least 1 MPa. The resulting titanium hydride from the chips was crushed mechanically. To remove hydrogen, the resulting titanium hydride powder from the chips was subjected to thermal dehydrogenation in a vacuum furnace. Combining the energy efficiency of the SHS method and the use of cheap chips as a raw material, it was possible to obtain a titanium powder of a fragmentary form, with an average particle size of 20–80 µm, with an acceptable level of impurities and at a low price.