Editing Titanium (section)

==Production==
{{Main|Titanium production by country}}

[[File:TitaniumUSGOV.jpg|thumb|alt=A small heap of uniform black grains smaller than 1mm diameter.|Titanium (mineral concentrate)]]
===Mineral beneficiation processes===
* The [[Becher process]] is an industrial process used to produce synthetic [[rutile]], a form of titanium dioxide, from the ore [[ilmenite]].
* The [[Chloride process]].
* The [[Titanium dioxide#Sulfate_process|Sulfate process]]: "relies on [[sulfuric acid]] (H2SO4) to leach titanium from [[ilmenite]] ore (FeTiO3). The resulting reaction produces [[titanyl sulfate]] (TiOSO4). A secondary hydrolysis stage is used to break the titanyl sulfate into hydrated TiO2 and H2SO4. Finally, heat is used to remove the water and create the end product - pure TiO2."<ref name="bar1">{{cite news |url=https://www.barbenanalytical.com/-/media/ametekbarbenanalytical/downloads/application_notes/tio2_an_reva.pdf?la=en&revision=eee43ea5-f5e3-4167-af19-4c177cc3dcdd |title=Application Note Titanium Dioxide - Sulfate Process |publisher=Ametek |agency=Barben Analytical |date=2015}}</ref>

===Purification processes===
{{see also|Category:Titanium processes}}
{{also|Category:Titanium companies}}
====Hunter process====
The Hunter process was the first industrial process to produce pure metallic titanium. It was invented in 1910 by [[Matthew A. Hunter]], a [[chemist]] born in New Zealand who worked in the United States.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Hunter | first1 = M. A. | year = 1910| title = Metallic Titanium | url = | journal = J. Am. Chem. Soc. | volume =  32| issue = 3| pages =  330–336| doi = 10.1021/ja01921a006 | bibcode = 1910JAChS..32..330H }}</ref> The process involves reducing [[titanium tetrachloride]] (TiCl<sub>4</sub>) with [[sodium]] (Na) in a batch reactor with an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 1,000&nbsp;°C. Dilute [[hydrochloric acid]] is then used to leach the salt from the product.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |entry=Hunter process |dictionary=A Dictionary of Chemical Engineering |date=2014 |url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199651450.001.0001/acref-9780199651450-e-1447 |url-access=subscription |language=en|doi=10.1093/acref/9780199651450.001.0001|last1=Schaschke |first1=Carl |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-965145-0 }}</ref> 
:TiCl<sub>4</sub>(g)  +  4 Na(l)   →   4 NaCl(l)  + Ti(s)

====Kroll process====
[[File:Sample of Titanium tetrachloride 01.jpg|thumb|right|Sample of Titanium tetrachloride]]
The processing of titanium metal occurs in four major steps: reduction of titanium ore into "sponge", a porous form; melting of sponge, or sponge plus a master alloy to form an ingot; primary fabrication, where an ingot is converted into general mill products such as [[bar stock|billet]], bar, [[plate (metal)|plate]], [[sheet metal|sheet]], strip, and [[tube (fluid conveyance)|tube]]; and secondary fabrication of finished shapes from mill products.<ref>{{harvnb|Donachie|1988|loc=Ch. 4}}</ref>

Because it cannot be readily produced by reduction of titanium dioxide,<ref name=Stwertka1998/> titanium metal is obtained by reduction of [[titanium tetrachloride]] (TiCl<sub>4</sub>) with magnesium metal in the Kroll process. The complexity of this batch production in the Kroll process explains the relatively high market value of titanium,<ref name=Barksdale1968p733>{{harvnb|Barksdale|1968|p=733}}</ref> despite the Kroll process being less expensive than the Hunter process.<ref name=Roza2008p9/> To produce the TiCl<sub>4</sub> required by the Kroll process, the dioxide is subjected to [[carbothermic reduction]] in the presence of [[chlorine]]. In this process, the chlorine gas is passed over a red-hot mixture of rutile or ilmenite in the presence of carbon.
After extensive purification by [[fractional distillation]], the TiCl<sub>4</sub> is reduced with {{convert|800|C}} molten magnesium in an [[argon]] atmosphere.<ref name=TICE6th/>
:<chem>2FeTiO3 + 7Cl2 + 6C ->[900^oC] 2FeCl3 + 2TiCl4 + 6CO</chem>
:<chem>TiCl4 + 2Mg ->[1100^oC] Ti + 2MgCl2</chem>

====Arkel-Boer process====
The [[van Arkel–de Boer process]] was the first semi-industrial process for pure Titanium. It involves thermal decomposition of [[titanium tetraiodide]].

====Armstrong process====
[[Titanium powder]] is manufactured using a [[flow production]] process known as the [[Armstrong process]]<ref name=Roza2008p25>{{harvnb|Roza|2008|p=25}}</ref> that is similar to the batch production [[Hunter process]]. A stream of titanium tetrachloride gas is added to a stream of molten sodium; the products (sodium chloride salt and titanium particles) is filtered from the extra sodium. Titanium is then separated from the salt by water washing. Both sodium and chlorine are recycled to produce and process more titanium tetrachloride.<ref name="ECI online">{{cite web |title=Titanium |date=15 January 2015 |website=The Essential Chemical Industry online |series=CIEC Promoting Science |publisher=[[University of York]] |location=York, UK |url=http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/metals/titanium.html}}</ref>

===Pilot plants===
Methods for [[electrolytic]] production of Ti metal from {{chem2|TiO2}} using molten salt electrolytes have been researched and tested at laboratory and small pilot plant scales. The lead author of an impartial review published in 2017 considered his own process "ready for scaling up."<ref name=fray17>{{cite journal |last1=Fray |first1=Derek |last2=Schwandt |first2=Carsten |title=Aspects of the Application of Electrochemistry to the Extraction of Titanium and Its Applications |journal=Materials Transactions |volume=58 |date=2017 |issue=3 |issn=1345-9678 |doi=10.2320/matertrans.MK201619 |pages=306–312}}</ref> A 2023 review "discusses the [[electrochemical]] principles involved in the recovery of metals from [[aqueous solutions]] and [[fused salt]] electrolytes", with particular attention paid to titanium. While some metals such as [[nickel]] and [[copper]] can be refined by [[electrowinning]] at room temperature, titanium must be in the molten state and "there is a strong chance of attack of the [[refractory]] lining by molten titanium."<ref name="sohn23">{{cite journal |doi=10.1080/25726641.2023.2255368 |title=Role of electrochemical processes in the extraction of metals and alloys – a review |date=2023 |last1=Shamsuddin |first1=Mohammad |last2=Sohn |first2=Hong Yong |journal=Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy: Transactions of the Institutions of Mining and Metallurgy |volume=132 |issue=3–4 |pages=193–209 |bibcode=2023MPEM..132..193S }}</ref> Zhang et al concluded their Perspective on Thermochemical and Electrochemical Processes for Titanium Metal Production in 2017 that "Even though there are strong interests in the industry for finding a better method to produce Ti metal, and a large number of new concepts and improvements have been investigated at the laboratory or even at pilot plant scales, there is no new process to date that can replace the Kroll process commercially."<ref name="zhang17">{{cite journal |title=A Perspective on Thermochemical and Electrochemical Processes for Titanium Metal Production |date=2017 |doi=10.1007/s11837-017-2481-9 |last1=Zhang |first1=Ying |last2=Fang |first2=Zhigang Zak |last3=Sun |first3=Pei |last4=Zheng |first4=Shili |last5=Xia |first5=Yang |last6=Free |first6=Michael |journal=JOM |volume=69 |issue=10 |pages=1861–1868 |bibcode=2017JOM....69j1861Z }}</ref>

The [[Hydrogen assisted magnesiothermic reduction]] (HAMR) process uses [[titanium dihydride]].