A method for refining a titanium material, in which oxygen contained in a titanium material made of a pure titanium, a titanium alloy or an intermetallic compound containing titanium as one of main components is removed, the method includes: a first melting step of melting the titanium material under a noble gas atmosphere containing 5 to 70 vol % of hydrogen, thereby introducing hydrogen into a melt of the titanium material; and a second melting step of melting the titanium material into which hydrogen has been introduced in the first melting step under a noble gas atmosphere, thereby removing oxygen contained in the titanium material from the melt of the titanium material together with the hydrogen. Each of the first melting step and the second melting step is carried out at least once.

A method for refining a titanium material, in which oxygen contained in a titanium material made of a pure titanium, a titanium alloy or an intermetallic compound containing titanium as one of main components is removed, the method includes: a first melting step of melting the titanium material under a noble gas atmosphere containing 5 to 70 vol % of hydrogen, thereby introducing hydrogen into a melt of the titanium material; and a second melting step of melting the titanium material into which hydrogen has been introduced in the first melting step under a noble gas atmosphere, thereby removing oxygen contained in the titanium material from the melt of the titanium material together with the hydrogen. Each of the first melting step and the second melting step is carried out at least once.

A method (500) for producing a titanium product is disclosed. The method (500) can include obtaining TiO.sub.2-slag (501) and reducing impurities in the TiO.sub.2-slag (502) to form purified TiO.sub.2 (503). The method (500) can also include reducing the purified TiO.sub.2 using a metallic reducing agent (504) to form a hydrogenated titanium product comprising TiH.sub.2 (505). The hydrogenated titanium product can be dehydrogenated (506) to form a titanium product (508). The titanium product can also be optionally deoxygenated (507) to reduce oxygen content.

A cold crucible structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cold crucible structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cold crucible unit including hollow top and bottom caps, a plurality of segments connecting the top cap and the bottom cap, slits disposed between the segments, and a reaction area surrounded by the segments; and an induction coil unit disposed to cover the outer side of the cold crucible unit and disposed across the longitudinal directions of the segments and the slits, in which the diameter of the reaction area is defined as a crucible diameter, the crucible diameter is 100 to 300 mm, and gaps of the slits are defined by

[00001]$d_{\mathrm{slit}}0.3\frac{}{50}$

(mm)(where d.sub.slit is the gap between the slits and is the crucible diameter).

Disclosed is a method of producing titanium and titanium alloy nanopowder from titanium-containing slag through a shortened process. The method includes: (1) subjecting titanium-containing slag to high-temperature oxidation and enrichment and then melting to precipitate titanium-enriched slag; (2) subjecting the titanium-enriched slag to pulverization and gravity flotation; (3) carrying out secondary enrichment; (4) preparing a molten salt reaction system; (5) synthesizing titanium and salt-containing titanium alloy nanopowder by reduction reaction; and (6) vacuum filtering, pickling, washing and vacuum drying the salt-containing titanium alloy nanopowder; and then separating titanium alloy nanopowder from the molten salt. Using the present method, the titanium-containing slag can be continuously treated to produce titanium and titanium alloy nanopowder. It requires a shortened process, a simple equipment and low energy consumption. The process is environmentally friendly and produces excellent products without solids, gas or liquids that are harmful to environment.

The present invention relates to the recovery of rare earths, scandium, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, titanium, and the like from ores or concentrates containing fluorine. More specifically, the ores or concentrates are pretreated by carbochlorination to convert the rare earths and other metals into their chlorides and then subjected to dilute hydrochloric acid leaching to recover the valuable rare earths and other metals from the leachate. Niobium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, and titanium can be recovered as their chlorides or oxychlorides from the gaseous products of carbochlorination, or converted into their oxides while simultaneously regenerating chlorine.

The present invention relates to the recovery of rare earths, scandium, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, titanium, and the like from ores or concentrates containing fluorine. More specifically, the ores or concentrates are pretreated by carbochlorination to convert the rare earths and other metals into their chlorides and then subjected to dilute hydrochloric acid leaching to recover the valuable rare earths and other metals from the leachate. Niobium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, and titanium can be recovered as their chlorides or oxychlorides from the gaseous products of carbochlorination, or converted into their oxides while simultaneously regenerating chlorine.

[Problem]

To provide a method for producing a metal ingot, which makes it possible to inhibit impurities contained in molten metal in a hearth from being mixed into the ingot.

[Solution]

A method for producing a metal ingot by using an electron-beam melting furnace having an electron gun and a hearth that accumulates a molten metal of a metal raw material, wherein the metal raw material is supplied to the position on a supply line disposed along a second side wall of the hearth that accumulates the molten metal of the metal raw material. A first electron beam is radiated along a first irradiation line that is disposed along the supply line and is closer to a central part of the hearth relative to the supply line on the surface of the molten metal. By this means, a surface temperature (T2) of the molten metal at the first irradiation line is made higher than an average surface temperature (T0) of the entire surface of the molten metal in the hearth, and in an outer layer of the molten metal, a first molten metal flow is formed from the first irradiation line toward the supply line.

Methods of removing oxygen from a metal are described. In one example, a method (100) can include forming a mixture (110) including a metal, a calcium de-oxygenation agent, and a salt. The mixture can be heated (120) at a de-oxygenation temperature for a period of time to reduce an oxygen content of the metal, thus forming a de-oxygenated metal. The de-oxygenation temperature can be above a melting point of the salt and below a melting point of the calcium de-oxygenation agent. The de-oxygenated metal can then be cooled (130). The de-oxygenated metal can then be leached with water and acid to remove by-products and obtain a product (140).

A smelting apparatus that includes (a) a smelting vessel (4) that is adapted to contain a bath of molten metal and slag and (b) a smelt cyclone (2) for pre-treating a metalliferous feed material positioned above and communicating directly with the smelting vessel The apparatus also includes an oft-gas duct (9) extending from the smelt, cyclone for discharging an off-gas from the smelt cyclone. The off-gas duct has an inlet section (18) that extends upwardly from the smelt cyclone and is formed to cause off-gas to undergo a substantial change of direction as it flows through the inlet section of the off-gas duct.