Recycling titanium and other reactive metal scraps by utilizing chloride wastes

A new recycling process for titanium and other reactive metal scraps, utilizing the chloride wastes generated from the Kroll process was investigated. Iron chlorides (e.g., FeCl₂, FeCl₃) and metallic titanium (Ti) were allowed to react at temperatures between 700 and 1300 K, and chlorine in the iron chlorides was extracted as TiCl₄ gas. It was found that iron chloride wastes can be utilized as a chlorine source for TiCl₄ production, and this process can also be applied to titanium scrap treatment. The investigation of the recycling process of chloride wastes may be useful because it has the potential for improving the chlorine cycle in the Kroll process. The technique for chlorine recovery from chloride wastes is important especially when treating low-grade titanium ore, which will become an essential resource for the titanium industry in the future. This recycling process which utilizes chloride scrap can also be extended to other reactive metals such as rare earth metals and tantalum.