Improved USTB titanium production with a Ti₂CO anode formed by casting

Electrochemical extraction of titanium using a consumable anode of TiC_xO_y solid solution has been considered as a low-cost and environmentally friendly method. This method is normally referred to as the USTB process when using TiO₂ as the starting material, or as the Chinuka process when using titanium ores as raw materials. However, scaling-up of this process is limited by anode preparation and slow electrochemical dissolution. Here, an arc furnace was used to prepare a Ti₂CO solid solution that was cast to form a consumable anode for the electrochemical preparation of metallic titanium in a NaCl-KCl molten salt without low-valance titanium ions. The dissolution potential of the as-prepared Ti₂CO solid solution is more negative than that of conventional powder sintering. A constant-current electrolysis was carried out in a NaCl-KCl molten salt at 1023 K. The results indicate that titanium ions were stably dissolved from Ti₂CO anode into melts, and then metallic titanium was deposited on the cathode. It was confirmed that the cast Ti₂CO solution was a promising consumable anode for the USTB process for stable and effective preparation of metallic titanium.