JOURNAL PAPER

Production of Al-Ti master alloys from TiO₂ in a DC arc furnace

M. Abdellatif

Mintek, South Africa

SYNOPSIS

The production of a 40% Al-Ti alloy was successfully proven at the lab scale, using pure TiO₂, aluminium, and lime. These tests were conducted in an induction furnace maintained at 1600-16250C. The introduction of rutile into the feed recipe resulted in an alloy containing between 0.35 and 1.10% Zr, depending on rutile to TiO₂ ratio.
DC arc production of the alloy was largely accomplished at 40 and then 200kW scale. These tests evaluated various metallurgical and operational factors including target slag composition, Ticontent in the alloy, co-feeding versus sequential, furnace bath depth, and rutile as part of the Ti containing feedstock. Overall, an alloy containing 24-33%Ti was consistently produced with cofeeding of the reactants and with lower taphole tapping. When rutile was added, the zirconium analysis in the alloy remained below 0.2%. The main impurity elements were iron, silicon, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

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