Production of Titanium Hydride Powder by Leaching of Aluminum and Silicon Impurities from Reduced Upgraded Titania Slag for Low Cost Titanium Production

Titanium alloys are in great demand in engineering applications that require better mechanical properties at a lower weight than steel, but high costs of titanium alloys have restricted their use in day to day applications. A novel low cost route for titanium powder production has been proposed recently, which involves reducing and purifying upgraded titania slag (UGS). The UGS is reduced with magnesium hydride in a hydrogen environment to form titanium hydride along with aluminum, iron and silicon impurities, originating in the UGS. It is crucial to remove the impurities from reduced UGS for successful implementation of this new proposed route for titanium production. This investigation is focused on removal of aluminum, and silicon impurities from the reduced UGS powder by leaching techniques in both alkaline and acidic conditions. The results indicate that proper operating conditions lead to high levels of impurity removal.