Production of Metal Powder

The process of the invention relates to production of fine mesh metal powder from polyvalent metal halides such as titanium, columbium, hafnium, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium halides. Titanium and its alloys are especially useful because they exhibit an unusually favorable strength to weight ratio, with exceptionally good corrosion resistance. These properties make titanium desirable for numerous applications such as jet engine components, airframes, and valves. Also, titanium is virtually indestructible to corrosion in acid solutions.

The presently used methods for producing titanium metal consists of reducing titanium tetrachloride, TiCl.sub.4, with either magnesium or sodium. The magnesium reduction process is commonly known as the Kroll process, and the sodium reduction process is commonly known as the Hunter process. Titanium metal produced from either process is in a form called sponge. Some sponge is used to make titanium powder and subsequently to make metal parts by powder metallurgy techniques. These parts are formed from titanium powder to near net shape, thus requiring little or no machining. Powder metallurgy, therefore, has the potential of producing parts at greatly reduced cost. Titanium powder is most commonly made by the rotating electrode and hydrogen dehydride process. Other processes for production of powder include electrolytic, centrifugal, shot cast, and direct grinding of sponge.

It has now been found, according to the process of the invention, that polyvalent metals such as titanium may be prepared directly in powder form, without intermediate formation of sponge, by reaction of the metal halide in vapor form with a fine spray of molten sodium under controlled reaction conditions. The invention will be more specifically described with reference to preparation of titanium powder; however, as stated above, the process of the invention is also applicable to preparation of other metals in powder form.

Fine mesh Ti powder is made, by means of the process of the invention, by spraying molten sodium through a fine spray nozzle into TiCl.sub.4 vapor under controlled conditions of temperature and pressure. Control of temperature and pressure are essential for direct formation of Ti powder, as contrasted to the formation of Ti sponge in prior art processes. In particular, the reaction temperature must be maintained below the melting point of titanium. For this purpose, a reaction temperature of about 100.degree. to 1200.degree. C. is suitable. Since the reaction is highly exothermic, suitable means for control of the temperature must be provided.

It has been found that the required reaction temperature may be readily achieved and maintained by control of flow of the molten sodium into the TiCl.sub.4 vapor-containing reaction vessel. It has also been found that this is most conveniently accomplished by means of a check valve in the molten sodium feed line, the valve being pressure-actuated to close when the pressure in the reactor exceeds the pressure in the molten sodium feed line. As the pressure in the reactor diminishes, a burst of sodium spray is again forced into the reactor. Thus, the reaction continues in increments, as a function of pressure and time. During the reaction, individual droplets of sodium, contained in a conical mist of the molten sodium, react with the TiCl.sub.4 vapor to form discrete titanium particles surrounded by sodium chloride.

Temperatures of the sodium and TiCl.sub.4 must, of course, be sufficient to maintain the reactants in molten and vapor form, respectively. Suitable temperatures of the molten sodium will generally range from about 125.degree. to 250.degree. C., with the temperature of the TiCl.sub.4 vapor being in the range of about 100.degree. to 250.degree. C. Relative proportions of the two reactants are not critical, with stoichiometric amounts, based on the equation below, generally being most suitable.

An embodiment of the invention will be more specifically described with reference to the drawing which shows diagrammatically the apparatus employed in the example below.

Sodium is melted in a stainless steel container 1, and the molten sodium 2 is forced by argon pressure from the container into a second stainless steel container 3 via an atomizing nozzle 4.

Container 3, the reaction chamber, contains titanium tetrachloride 5, which is vaporized to form TiCl.sub.4 vapor 6. Heat required to form the molten sodium and vaporize the TiCl.sub.4 are supplied by heating elements 7 and 8. In addition, check valves 9 and 10 are provided to control the flow of argon and molten sodium (as discussed above), as well as preventing backflow of TiCl.sub.4 vapor. A fine mesh screen cleaner 11 (about 48 to 100 mesh) is also provided to strain oxide particles or scale that might plug the check valve or spray nozzle.

Optimum argon pressure will depend on the amount of TiCl.sub.4, desired reaction temperature, temperature of the molten sodium and the TiCl.sub.4, and the size and shape of the reactor. As discussed above, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the flow of molten sodium is controlled by the pressure of the reaction. It is thus apparent that the argon pressure, and hence the flow of the molten sodium, must be correlated with the remaining of the above-mentioned variables in order to maintain the reaction temperature within the desired range. Ordinarily, however, an argon pressure of about 100 to 400 psi, with a corresponding reaction pressure of about 150 to 450 psi, is satisfactory.

The atomized sodium, from nozzle 4, reacts with TiCl.sub.4 vapor to form titanium powder and sodium chloride according to the reaction:

Titanium is recovered from the reactor and separated from the salt mixture by dissolving the NaCl in cold water (about room temperature), preferably acidified with HCL to a pH of about 2. The fine titanium powder is filtered, washed with multiple cold water washes, and vacuum dried.

The following example will illustrate a specific embodiment of the invention.

An apparatus of the type described above was employed in this example.

The sodium container was evacuated in a vacuum chamber (not shown in drawing), backfilled with argon, and loaded under argon with 415 grams of sodium. The titanium tetrachloride reactor chamber was charged under argon with 854.7 grams of TiCl.sub.4, a stoichiometric portion. The sodium container was connected to the reactor chamber by a transfer line comprising a high pressure check valve (6,000 psi), for control of flow of molten sodium and preventing backflow of TiCl.sub.4, and a fine mesh screen cleaner to strain oxide particles or scale. An electrical heater was used to heat the transfer line to about 250.degree. C., the sodium chamber was heated by band heaters to about 200.degree. C. (outside surface temperature) and the reactor was heated by band heaters to about 100.degree. C. (outside surface temperature).

The argon pressure was regulated to a maximum 98 psi and the sodium-line valve was rapidly opened. A muffled report indicated that sodium was flowing into the reactor. Electrical power was shut off to the reactor band heaters, and the reactor surface temperature dropped from 110.degree. C. to 108.degree. C. in 2 minutes, and then slowly increased for 66 minutes to a peak temperature of 213.degree. C. The reaction proceeded in increments because of the opening and closing of the sodium-line check valve, the valve being forced closed with increased pressure of the reaction. When pressure inside the reactor dropped below the argon pressure (98 psi), sodium was again forced through the check valve. The reaction proceeded, with the reaction temperature ranging from about 110.degree.to 250.degree. C., until the TiCl.sub.4 was completely reacted.

Titanium powder recovered was 211.5 grams. This powder was found to be all very fine; over 95 pct was -35 mesh and over 90 pct was contained in a -270 mesh fraction.

Although the process of the example is a batch process, the invention may also be practiced using a continuous process in which the sodium chamber is refilled at intervals, and molten NaCl containing the Ti powder is withdrawn through valves into a closed chamber to maintain a sealed reactor.