Preparation of Titanium Metal Using Titanium Suboxides in Molten Salt

Abstract

Perovskite is an inevitable phase formed in the cathode during electrolytic deoxidation using titanium dioxide as the raw material by FFC process. Here, titanium suboxides (Ti₃O₅, Ti₂O₃ and TiO) are used as the raw materials to study whether perovskite can be avoided in the process. The results show that there is not perovskite formed during electrolysis using TiO and perovskite is appeared in the cathode when Ti₃O₅ and Ti₂O₃ are used as the raw materials. Perovskite is formed by combining Ca²⁺ in the molten CaCl₂ with the cathode materials after the voltage is applied between the electrodes. Perovskite is mainly produced by electrochemical deoxidation process and amount of it gradually decreases with oxygen content decreasing in the cathode.