The development history of titanium
Publication Time:
2019/12/20
Titanium is increasingly used in modern industry. How did titanium develop? A brief introduction follows. Titanium was discovered in 1789. In 1908, Norway and the United States began producing titanium dioxide using the sulfuric acid method.
In 1910, sponge titanium was produced using the sodium method in a laboratory. In 1948, the DuPont Company in the United States began producing sponge titanium in ton quantities using the magnesium method—marking the beginning of the industrial production of sponge titanium, and thus the titanium industry.
China's titanium industry began in the 1950s. In 1954, the Beijing Research Institute of Nonferrous Metals began researching sponge titanium preparation processes. In 1956, the state included titanium as a strategic metal in its 12-year development plan. In 1958, industrial experiments with sponge titanium were carried out at the Fushun Aluminum Plant, and China's first sponge titanium production workshop was established. Simultaneously, China's first titanium processing material production experimental workshop was established at the Shenyang Nonferrous Metals Processing Plant.
During the 1960s and 1970s, under the unified planning of the state, more than 10 sponge titanium production units, represented by the Zunyi Titanium Plant, were built, along with several titanium material processing units, represented by the Baoji Nonferrous Metals Processing Plant. A research force, represented by the Beijing Research Institute of Nonferrous Metals, was also formed, making China the fourth country, after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and Japan, to have a complete titanium industry system.
Around 1980, China's sponge titanium production reached 2,800 tons. However, due to the lack of understanding of titanium metal by most people at the time, and the high price of titanium materials, the output of titanium processed materials was only around 200 tons, and China's titanium industry faced difficulties. Under these circumstances, at the initiative of then Vice Premier Fang Yi, with the support of Zhu Rongji and Yuan Baohua, a cross-ministerial National Titanium Application Promotion Leading Group was established in July 1982 to specifically coordinate the development of the titanium industry, leading to the rapid and stable development of both sponge titanium and titanium processed materials production and sales from the 1980s to the early 1990s.
In summary, China's titanium industry has roughly gone through three development periods: the pioneering period in the 1950s, the construction period in the 1960s and 1970s, and the initial development period in the 1980s and 1990s. In the new century, benefiting from the sustained and rapid development of the national economy, China's titanium industry has entered a period of rapid growth.
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What are the different classifications of titanium alloys?
By utilizing the different characteristics of the two structures mentioned above, titanium alloys with different microstructures are obtained by adding appropriate alloying elements to gradually change the phase transformation temperature and phase content. At room temperature, titanium alloys have three basic matrix structures, and titanium alloys are divided into the following three categories: α alloys, (α+β) alloys, and β alloys. China represents them as TA, TC, and TB respectively. It is a single-phase alloy composed of an α-phase solid solution. Whether at normal temperature or at higher practical application temperatures, it is always in the α phase, with stable microstructure, higher wear resistance than pure titanium, and strong oxidation resistance. At 500℃～
2020-01-19
Analysis of the titanium application in China's chemical industry
In the coming years, the mainland China titanium market for chemical applications will continue to dominate the mainland China titanium market, with very broad prospects. In the past nine years, the amount of titanium used in mainland China's chemical industry has been approximately 70,000 tons, slightly higher than the sum of mainland China's titanium production in 2009 and 2010. According to him, the main applications of titanium in China's chemical industry include chlor-alkali, soda ash, vacuum salt making, petrochemical fibers, fine chemicals, and inorganic salts. The main user of titanium in the chemical industry is the chlor-alkali industry, where titanium equipment and pipes account for almost a quarter of its weight. Based on a calculation of approximately 6 tons of titanium used per 10,000-ton unit, the projected new production capacity of ion-membrane caustic soda in 2011 is 6 million tons, with an estimated titanium consumption of 36 million tons. The projected increase in production capacity in 2012 is 200 tons, with a titanium consumption of 1,200 tons.
2019-12-20
Titanium's remarkable properties are primarily demonstrated in its behavior at ultra-low temperatures, where it becomes even harder and exhibits superconducting properties, unlike steel which becomes brittle and ineffective. Its specific gravity is only half that of iron, yet it withstands hammering and drawing like copper. Titanium possesses strong resistance to acid and alkali corrosion; it remains uncorroded after five years of immersion in seawater, whereas steel corrodes and deteriorates under the same conditions. Titanium alloy hulls for ships are impervious to seawater corrosion. 'Titanium submarines,' constructed from titanium alloys, can dive to depths of 4500 meters, while ordinary steel submarines are easily crushed by water pressure at depths exceeding 300 meters. 'Titanium aircraft' are strong and lightweight; a large titanium passenger plane can carry over 100 more passengers than a similarly weighted conventional aircraft, and can reach speeds exceeding 3000 kilometers per hour, compared to 2400 kilometers per hour for aluminum alloy aircraft. Titanium and zirconium's strong absorption of air can be utilized to create a vacuum. Vacuum pumps made from titanium-zirconium alloys can evacuate air to a level of one part in a billion. In the aerospace industry, titanium can be used to create spacecraft 'outer shells' to protect against high temperatures. The alloy of titanium and nickel is known as 'shape memory alloy.' This alloy, formed into a predetermined shape and then set, will revert to its original form upon slight heating after deformation by external forces. This alloy is currently used in many fields. Titanium carbide (TiC) resembles iron carbide, possessing a metallic luster. However, it has a higher melting point and hardness than iron carbide, making it practically valuable. Food stored in titanium containers retains its color, aroma, and flavor for extended periods. Titanium cookware is lightweight and rust-proof, making it scientifically hygienic. High-pressure containers made of titanium alloys can withstand pressures of 2500 atmospheres. Titanium's applications in surgical procedures are also fascinating. Currently, stainless steel is used for bone grafts, but it has the drawback of requiring removal after bone healing, a painful process. Otherwise, the stainless steel may rust and harm the body. Replacing it with titanium 'artificial bones' would revolutionize orthopedic surgery. In areas of skull damage, titanium plates and screws are used; after a few months, bone will regrow into the small holes in the plates and screws, and new muscle fibers will encapsulate the titanium sheets. The titanium bone structure integrates with the flesh like real bone, providing support and reinforcement. Therefore, titanium is praised as a 'biocompatible metal.' It is now used in knee, shoulder, rib, skull, heart valve, and bone fixation clips. In the steel industry, small amounts of titanium serve as an excellent deoxidizer, denitrogenizer, and desulfurizer. Barium titanate crystals are widely used in ultrasonic instruments and underwater detectors because they generate an electric current when their shape changes under pressure; conversely, applying an electric current changes their shape. When placed in an ultrasonic field, barium titanate generates a current, the magnitude of which indicates the strength of the ultrasound. Conversely, passing a high-frequency current through it generates ultrasound. In gold-plated decorative crafts and daily necessities, the low hardness, susceptibility to punctures, and wear of gold limit its durability. Coating these materials with a layer of titanium nitride results in an appearance almost identical to gold plating, but with greater wear resistance than gold or hard alloys. This coating is praised for its 'imperishable' nature. Organotitanium polymers can be used as surfactants, dispersants, water repellents, or rust inhibitors. Among the four series of hydrogen storage metals currently used by humans, titanium-based alloys are one type and relatively inexpensive. However, a more ideal 'hydrogen storage metal' has not yet been found. Once this problem is solved, hydrogen can be used as fuel.
2019-12-20
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