Essential metal for planes, rockets, missiles and more
A Case Western Reserve University proposal for a low-cost, energy-efficient method to extract the strategic metal titanium from ore has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy for contract negotiations. This one-year project will be funded by ARPA-E at about $675K through the program on Modern Electro/Thermo-chemical Advances in Light-metal Systems.
With a high strength-to-weight ratio and unparalleled chemical stability, titanium is critically important for applications in aerospace, transportation and defense. However, the current process used to refine titanium from ore is extremely energy-intensive, making titanium expensive, thus limiting its widespread use.
“Our project, if successful, will lower the cost of titanium by up to 60 percent”, said Rohan Akolkar, associate professor of chemical engineering and the principal investigator on the project.
Akolkar’s team, which also includes Uziel Landau, professor and chair of chemical engineering, and Mark De Guire, associate professor of materials science and engineering, will work towards demonstrating feasibility of their idea in the next year.
The CWRU team proposes to use an electrolytic process, called electrowinning, to directly extract titanium from molten titanium salts. A specialized electrochemical reactor will be designed and built at CWRU to facilitate a stable electrowinning process to produce the metal.
“Much of the cost associated with extracting titanium via conventional non-electrolytic routes lies in processing the sacrificial reducing agent, which is typically magnesium. In our direct electrolytic process, magnesium is not required,” Akolkar said. “This reduces cost, reduces energy consumption and simplifies the overall process.”
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Titanium extraction
- UEC Uranium Energy Corp.
extraction, and processing uranium and titanium concentrates in the United States, Canada, and Paraguay. It owns interests in the Palangana mine, Goliad, Burke Hollow, Longhorn, and Salvo projects ...
- Report on Payments to Governments
May 2024 Report on Payments to Governments Kenmare Resources plc (LSE:KMR, ISE:KMR), one of the leading global producers of titanium minerals and zircon, which operates the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine ...
- Vanadium mission earns timely tax offset for Surefire
The tax rebate relates to the company’s processing technology results and high-purity alumina testwork at the operation that includes a “breakthrough” metallurgical process which yielded extraction ..
- Fallout 76: Where To Find Black Titanium (& Everything It's Used For)
You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics. Components that players acquire by breaking down junk in Fallout 76 are crucial for everything from base building to repairing weapons ...
- One feature makes this the best Apple Watch titanium band available
Accelerate your tech game Paid Content How the New Space Race Will Drive Innovation How the metaverse will change the future of work and society Managing the Multicloud The Future of the Internet ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Titanium extraction
[google_news title=”” keyword=”titanium extraction” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Titanium
- Gorilla Treated with World's First 3D-Printed Titanium Cast Is Doing Well at Cincinnati Zoo: 'Healing Is Happening'
Cincinnati Zoo A young gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo is on the mend after having her arm fitted with the world's first 3D-printed titanium cast. Gladys, an 11-year-old female who broke her arm last month after falling during "a scuffle" with two of her ...
- Samsung might stick to grade 2 titanium for Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung may use grade 2 titanium for the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s frame, the same as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. At best, it could upgrade to grade 3. The company doesn’t plan to match Apple, which used grade 5 titanium on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Titanium
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Titanium” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]