Production of Aluminum-Titanium-Boron Master Alloy by Aluminothermic Process

Abstract

Al-Ti-B alloys are used as commercial alloys in the aluminum and steel industry. Reacting chemical salts of titanium and boron with molten aluminum produces alloys that are used in the aluminum industry, while Al-Ti-B alloys for the steel industry are produced by metallothermic reactions. In this study, pre-alloys with high titanium and boron contents that may be used for the production of aluminum alloys are produced by a metallothermic reduction process. The effect of the addition of the thermite mixture, which consists of potassium chlorate and aluminum, on the Ti, Al and B content of the alloy and Ti and B recovery, was investigated at the stoichiometric aluminum addition and by varying B 2 O 3 /TiO 2 ratio. An alloy containing 49.8% Ti, 5.7% B, 24.7% Al in metallic and 4.6% Al in oxide form was obtained by 46.9% Ti and 47.7% B recovery at a B 2 O 3 /TiO 2 ratio of 0.22 and by adding a thermite mixture which is 50% of the charged amount. At the same B 2 O 3 /TiO 2 ratio, the effect of CaO addition on the Ti, Al and B contents of the alloy and on Ti and B recoveries was also studied. CaO addition had no beneficial effect on metal recoveries. By varying the B 2 O 3 /TiO 2 to 0.33 and thermite mixture/charge ratio to 60%, Ti, B and metallic Al content of the alloy changed to 63.1%, 7.7% and 25.0% respectively, and recovery of Ti and B was 66.5% and 47.7% respectively. In this alloy, Al in oxide form was determined as 2.0%.