A contribution to the history of ductile titanium and zirconium

Abstract

This account describes the lines of thought, the laboratory experiments and the equipment developed in the author's laboratory in Luxemburg between 1923 and 1940, which led to the present-day production method for titanium by reduction from its chloride under noble gas. The various steps taken are shown in chronological order and a few sketches, taken from laboratory journals, present the evolution of the reduction equipment. The repercussions of the development work accomplished later in zirconium reduction at Albany, Oregon, for the U.S. government, which was based on the author's work in Luxemburg, on the titanium project at Boulder City and on private industry, are reported.