The FFC Cambridge Process for Production of Low Cost Titanium and Titanium Powders

Mark Bertolini,James Collins,James Deane,Lucy England,Kartik Rao,Lee Shaw

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.436.75

Abstract

The current status and recent advancements in the use of the FFC Cambridge process for the production of low cost titanium and titanium powders is presented. This will include an overview of the process, current and future process equipment and recent results in terms of chemistry, structure and properties of powder and consolidated product. The future direction and activities for the FFC Cambridge process will also be briefly discussed.

Highlights

The FFC process is a patented technology capable of reducing a broad range of metal oxides to metals (Figure 1) and mixtures of metal oxides to alloys in a solid state process using electrolysis
When a voltage of around 3 volts is applied between the electrodes oxygen is stripped from the metal oxide and transported through the electrolyte as an anion which discharges at the anode to form oxygen
Metalysis Ltd currently has a number of facilities for the FFC process and is constructing a novel design of cell which will be capable of semi-continuous operation

Summary

Introduction

The FFC process is a patented technology capable of reducing a broad range of metal oxides to metals (Figure 1) and mixtures of metal oxides to alloys in a solid state process using electrolysis. In essence the technology involves immersing the oxide(s) to be reduced in a bath of electrolyte, typically molten calcium chloride at a temperature between 800°C and 1000°C and applying a cathodic potential to the oxide via a suitable immersed anode. The current incumbent technologies for the production of such metals are typically the Kroll or modified Hunter processes These have been utilised for the last 60 years or more and are complex, multi-stage, capital intensive and expensive processes with significant environmental impact (Figure 3). As the technology and scale of manufacture grow it is expected that other areas of the titanium market will progressively open up to the technology

Current and Future Facilities

FFC Product

FFC Ti

Conclusions

Future Work