Hydration of Potassium Tetratitanate Fiber by the KDC Process

Abstract

The potassium tetratitanate fibers produced from the KDC process between titanium dioxide and potassium carbonate, were firstly converted into the hydrous potassium titanate fibers (2K₂O⋅11TiO₂⋅3H₂O) by leaching with water.
The potassium ions were further exracted, and hydrous potassium titanate was converted into the hydrous titania fibers containing 1 to 5per cent potassium oxide by weight.
Five different phases were distinguished between the hydrous potassium titanate and the hydrous titania by characteristic of X-ray powder diffraction patterns. Three phases among them were new phases of hydrous potassium titanate with potassium hepta-, nona- and decatitanate, respectively. All the phases were found in fiber forms.