New refining process could lower cost of titanium by 60%

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) have been selected by ARPA-E, the US government's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy, to carry out a one year project aimed at developing a low cost method to obtain titanium metal from its ore. It is thought that the process could lower the cost of the metal by up to 60 percent.

Titanium can be made into structural materials that are extremely strong for their weight and show excellent resistance to corrosion. It is used in a number of high-value applications in aerospace, defense, medicine, and transportation. Although titanium and its alloys could be used in many other applications, titanium metal is notoriously difficult to refine and purify from its various ores.

The cost of titanium metal is currently about six US dollars per kilogram, compared to steel at under a dollar per kilogram, and aluminum alloy at under two dollars per kilogram. About half of this is the cost of magnesium metal that is used up in the refining process. Fabricating titanium products is also rather difficult, with the result that titanium is used in very few products in which another structural metal is found satisfactory.

The $675K ARPA-E award will be used by the CWRU team, led by Associate Professor Rohan Akolkar, will be developing a process based onelectrowinning, a form of electroplating, to directly extract titanium from molten titanium salts. Electrolytically extracted titanium is expected to contain fewer impurities and therefore have superior mechanical properties as extracted.

The team’s proposal has the potential of considerably expanding the domestic titanium production industry and lower reliance on titanium imports. While cheaper titanium will not solve the difficulties in fabricating titanium products, it should make this very useful metal practical to use in a wider range of products that can benefit from its desirable mechanical and chemical properties.

Source: Case Western Reserve University

Comments

Solar car hits U.S. in round-the-world jaunt

Last October, the SolarWorld GT solar-powered car set out from Darwin, Australia on a drive around the world. It has since driven 3,001 kilometers (1,865 miles) across Australia, logged 1,947 km (1,210 miles) crossing New Zealand and been shipped across the Pacific Ocean. This Friday, it will embark on the U.S. leg of its journey, as it sets out across America from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The SolarWorld GT is the result of a collaboration between solar panel manufacturer SolarWorld, and Bochum University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The four-wheeled, two-door, two-seat car gathers solar energy through photovoltaic panels built into its roof, with its solar generator offering a peak performance of 823 watts. Custom hub motors are located in both of the front wheels. The vehicle manages an average speed of 50 km/h (31 mph), with a claimed top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). In order to demonstrate that solar powered cars needn't be a radical...

Nine government sites hit by cyber attacks: NIC

The National Informatics Center (NIC) has revealed that as many as nine government websites were defaced by recent cyber attacks. The center further said that the servers, which hosts these government sites, suffer a number of hacking attempts on a daily basis. The websites www.kumbh2010haridwar.gov.in, www.ueppcb.uk.gov.in, www.gov.ua.nic.in/ujn, www.cdodoon.gov.in, www.arunachal.nic.in,www.bee-india.nic.in, www.civilsupplieskerala.gov.in, www.mpcb.gov.in and www.informatics.nic.in were defaced , prompting authorities to ramp up the cyber security safeguards. In an RTI reply, the NIC, which reports to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said that it was impossible for the body to accurately quantify these attacks but they are usually blocked by security controls put in place. The Ministry was asked to provide details of hacking attempts made on the governments websites in the last ten years (2001-11) along with url names of the portal...

Google and Stanford early adopters of Honda Fit EV

Honda's first all-electric vehicle is hitting the streets a little early. The Honda Fit EV debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2011, and it's expected to be available for lease this summer. However, Honda announced that Google and Stanford University got a special early delivery of the tiny EV this week.The Honda Fit EV is equipped with a 20kWh lithium ion battery, and has an EPA estimated driving range of 76 miles. Google added the EV to its car -sharing service for employees, dubbed the G-Fleet, in Mountain View, Calif. The search giant maintains several electric and plug-in vehicles that it uses for research and to cart Googlers around town and between buildings on campus. Stanford University also is an early adopter of the Fit EV, but will be using it primarily for research. The university's automotive research department will study the difference in psychological and physical reactions of using battery...

Daily Tech News

Search This Blog