Skip to main content

New refining process could lower cost of titanium by 60%

By
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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DoubleBack adds a sliding pod to VW's Transporter van

By
It was over thirty years ago that Volkswagen first started offering "pop tops" on its camper vans. In the years since, the soft-sided interior height-extenders have become a common sight on VW vans parked in campgrounds all over the world. Now, Welsh company Overlander Motorhomes is offering what it sees as the logical compliment to the pop top - it's the DoubleBack, a sliding insulated pod that extends the interior length of Volkwagen's T5 Transporter van.    The company starts with a stock 2.0TDI 140PS Long Wheelbase T5 van, then adds its patented DoubleBack pod package. When on the road, the pod stays tucked up inside the back of the vehicle. Once the driver stops and decides they'd like to settle down someplace, however, it electrically extends out of the rear in under 45 seconds, adding approximately two meters (6.5 feet) of useable interior space. Two legs also fold out from the bottom of the pod, which allow it to support up 600 kilograms (1,323 l...
Post a Comment
Read more

AQUA TEK S – the first waterproof, ruggedized, solar-powered battery case for iPhone

By
If you're hoping to attract investors to get yet another iPhone case to an already crowded market, it had better do more than just protect a phone from bumps and scrapes. Snow Lizard Products is giving itself the best possible chance of raising funds for its new AQUA TEK S case for  iPhone 4  and  4S  with an offering that not only boasts ruggedized protection, but also includes a solar panel, built in battery, and is waterproof up to 20 ft (6 m). Aimed at outdoorsy types who want to stay connected when heading off the beaten track, the case features a waterproof and dirt resistant poly-carbonate ruggedized casing that packs its own built-in battery to extend the life of the the iPhone. The company is still investigating the best battery to fit the form factor so the capacity of the unit hasn't yet been finalized, but it will be able to recharge from the power of the Sun via the solar panel built into the rear of the case. The encased iPhone can also be recharg...
Post a Comment
Read more

8 Little-Known Facts About Steve Jobs!

By
FBI has just released some interesting revelations about Steve Jobs.     Saturday, February 11, 2012 :   Forensic Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) has released a 191-page 'bundle of papers' which the agency compiled on late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs way back in 1991. This lengthy document comprises more than 30 interviews of friends, neighbours, family, former business associates and Jobs himself. The interviews were part of a background check for an appointment to the ex-president George HW Bush's Export Council. Let's have a look at the eight interesting revelations from the FBI's documents... Distorted truth  There were many individuals who questioned Steve Jobs' honesty. They stated that Jobs used to twist the truth and play around with reality in order to achieve his goals. One of the persons told FBI agents that the Apple co-founder's enormous power caused him to lose sight of honesty and integrity thus leading him to distort the truth.  App...
Post a Comment
Read more