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Research topics on sponge titanium **② Key technologies for the combined magnesium reduction-vacuum distillation process in the production of sponge titanium. The magnesium reduction method is currently the only approach used in industrial production of sponge titanium, and the reduction-distillation process as well as the associated equipment play a decisive role in the quality of the sponge titanium product. It mainly focuses on the optimization techniques for the process equipment of existing U-type (8–12 tons/furnace), I-type (5–8 tons/furnace) reactors, and new reduction-distillation furnaces (5–8 tons/furnace) ； Process and equipment for vacuum removal of magnesium chloride ； Understand the corrosion mechanisms of various chlorides on equipment during reduction distillation, develop new corrosion-resistant structural materials, and create long-lasting, large-scale magnesium reduction-vacuum distillation units (>10 t per unit) ； Ways to recover and utilize the heat generated during the reduction process were explored, and a computer expert system for the reduction-distillation process was developed to significantly reduce the energy consumption in the combined production of sponge titanium via magnesium reduction and vacuum distillation. Short- to medium-term goal: Reduce the comprehensive energy consumption per ton of titanium metal produced by 20%. Long-term goal: Reduce the overall energy consumption per ton of titanium metal produced by 30%. Project 2: Research and Development of Large-Scale Magnesium-Based Reduction-Distillation Process Technologies and Equipment 1. Project Objectives: In response to the current technical challenges in the reduction-distillation process, such as small furnace sizes, low production capacity, high energy consumption, numerous hard titanium cores, and high impurity levels, this project aims to significantly improve production efficiency and increase the output of high-quality products by researching and developing the main equipment for large-scale inverted U-shaped reduction-distillation units (12 tons) as well as the key process technologies. It also seeks to reduce consumption of electricity and titanium tetrachloride and other materials, thereby saving costs. The goal is to achieve a high quality rate for sponge titanium of over 60%, with the overall production technology reaching international advanced levels and some indicators even reaching world-class standards. 2. Main research contents: (1) Study large-scale reduction processes, and design and manufacture a 12-ton inverted U-shaped combined reduction-distillation furnace ； (2) Study forced heat dissipation techniques for the reduction reaction process, and optimize the parameters of the reduction-distillation process ； (3) Study the accurate control technology for the TiCl4 feeding process to improve material utilization efficiency ； Study gas channel clogging prevention and clearance techniques in the distillation process to improve reaction efficiency ； (4) Study impurity control techniques during the reduction-distillation process to reduce the impact of impurity elements on the microstructure and hardness of the final titanium sponge, thereby improving the quality of titanium sponge ； (5) Study the mechanical removal techniques for large titanium sponge blocks, develop new types of crushing equipment for titanium sponge, and comprehensively improve overall production efficiency ； (6) Research on chlorine recovery and purification technologies for magnesium chloride electrolysis systems (including: adsorption-desorption media for electrolytic chlorine, purification processes, and the development of related equipment), in order to increase the actual yield of chlorine and reduce energy consumption. 3. Key performance indicators: (1) The annual production capacity of a single set of the reduction-distillation combined furnace should be over 300 tons ； (2) The consumption of titanium tetrachloride in the reduction-distillation process is reduced to below 4.25 tons per ton of titanium, and the electricity consumption in this process is below 4000 kWh per ton of titanium ； (3) The yield of grade 1 and above sponge titanium exceeds 60%, while that of grade 2 and above sponge titanium is ≥92%; the qualification rate is ≥95% ； (4) The net consumption of metallic magnesium is reduced to 40 Kg per ton of titanium, with a recycling rate of 96% ； (5) The concentration of electrolytic chlorine is increased to over 95%, and the recycling rate reaches over 90%. 20:27:01 – “11th Five-Year Plan” **Science and Technology Support Program: Guidelines for Applying for Key Projects on the Development of Technologies for Titanium Smelting and Titanium Alloy Processing.** Titanium alloys are important high-quality, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant structural materials that hold significant strategic importance for the national economy, social development, and defense construction. Based on the current development status of titanium smelting and processing technologies in China, and in line with the overall plans for scientific and technological initiatives, this project focuses on the industrialization of key technologies such as the production of sponge titanium, the extrusion of titanium alloy profiles, and the recycling of titanium alloy waste materials. Its aim is to significantly improve China’s capabilities in titanium smelting and titanium alloy processing, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of China’s titanium industry. Based on the domestic and international market demand for sponge titanium and titanium processed products, as well as the existing technical foundations, and in line with the arrangements of relevant scientific and technological programs, this project includes four components: boiling chlorination of sponge titanium, reduction-distillation, extrusion of titanium alloy profiles, and recycling of recycled materials. I. Guidelines and Instructions Overall project objective: To address the main technical problems existing in the two key stages of sponge titanium production – boiling chlorination and reduction-distillation – namely high energy consumption, poor product quality, and low production efficiency. Through improvements in manufacturing processes and research and development of large-scale production equipment, the technical and equipment standards for titanium sponge production in China are comprehensively enhanced. This leads to a significant improvement in the quality of titanium sponge, while reducing costs and energy consumption as well as minimizing pollutant emissions ； To address the fact that titanium profile extrusion technology is still in its infancy, close collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions has been employed to develop a comprehensive set of technologies for processing titanium profiles. This has led to the establishment of capabilities for researching and developing various titanium profiles, enabling the production of products that meet specified requirements. Such efforts fill a gap in domestic capabilities and meet the urgent needs of national economic development and defense construction ； Given the large amount of waste generated during the processing of titanium alloys, in order to improve the utilization rate of these materials, technologies for recycling titanium waste have been developed to reduce the cost of using titanium and to conserve resources to the greatest extent possible. Through the implementation of this project, enterprises and research institutions will acquire a set of core, common key technologies, thereby improving the overall level of China’s titanium industry and enhancing its overall competitiveness. What is being released here are the application guidelines for the 4 projects under this initiative, with a implementation period of 3 years. Project 1: Research and development of large-scale sieve-free boiling chlorination process technology and equipment. Project 2: Research and development of large-scale magnesium-based reduction-distillation process technology and equipment. Project 3: Research on the extrusion process technology for titanium alloy profiles. Project 4: Development of technologies for recycling titanium alloy waste materials. II. Guidelines for the projects: Project 1: Research and development of large-scale sieve-free boiling chlorination process technology and equipment. 1. Project objectives: Develop the core equipment for large-scale sieve-free boiling chlorination, reduce raw material consumption, identify stable process parameters for this type of boiling chlorination, implement automated control over the production process, and increase the production capacity of the equipment so that each chlorination furnace can produce over 90 tons per day. This will also improve the yield of titanium tetrachloride, while reducing the consumption of raw materials such as high-titanium slag and chlorine gas, as well as energy costs. The goal is to bring China’s large-scale sieve-free boiling chlorination technology up to or close to world-class standards. 2. Main research contents: (1) Study the optimization design scheme for the main structure of large-scale sieve-free boiling chlorination furnaces ； (2) Study the main process parameters of the boiling chlorination process, and determine the automatic control technology for the entire boiling chlorination process ； (3) Study the key processes for collecting reaction products, and develop TiCl4 leaching recovery technology. 3. Key performance indicators: (1) The daily production capacity per chlorination furnace should be over 90 tons ； (2) The solid-liquid ratio of crude titanium tetrachloride is less than 0.5% ； (3) The actual yield of titanium tetrachloride reaches over 90% ； (4) The specific consumption of crude titanium tetrachloride high-titanium slag was reduced to below 0.5 tons ； (5) The chlorine consumption per ton of crude titanium tetrachloride was reduced to below 1.0 ton. 4. Project funding: 11 million yuan in government-funded funds, with self-raised funds being no less than three times the amount of government funding. 5. Application Requirements: The applying entity must possess complete sets of production equipment for sponge titanium, have a track record of engaging in sponge titanium production over the long term, as well as the capability to develop large-scale boiling chlorination furnaces. Upon completion of the project, it should be possible to establish a stable industrial production demonstration line, with the necessary funding secured. . 4. Project funding: 11 million yuan in government-funded funds, with self-raised funds being no less than three times the amount of government funding. 5. Application Requirements: The applying entity must possess complete production process equipment and technology for sponge titanium, as well as the capability to develop large-scale technologies for the reduction and distillation of sponge titanium. It should also have an electrolysis system for magnesium chloride along with the necessary equipment and technical foundations for chlorine recovery and purification. Upon completion of the project, an industrial demonstration production line for the reduction and distillation of large-scale sponge titanium should be established, along with the required funding. Project 3: Research on Extrusion Process Technologies for Titanium Alloy Profiles 1. Project Objectives: In light of the urgent needs of national economic development and defense construction for titanium alloy profiles, and given that domestic production of such profiles currently does not exist, this project aims to develop various process technologies required for their fabrication, including extrusion processes, mold design and lubrication techniques, mold surface treatment methods, straightening techniques, and heat treatment processes. By utilizing typical titanium alloys such as TA15 and TC4, thick-walled U-shaped and L-shaped profiles will be extruded ； At the same time, T-shaped and L-shaped extruded billets required for pulsed forging of thin-walled profiles were developed; the quality of these billets is close to or reaches the advanced level of foreign countries, filling the gap in titanium alloy profiles in China. 2. Main research contents: Due to the difficulty in deforming titanium alloys, extrusion is a challenging process; it is necessary to address three key issues: die design, extrusion lubrication, and profile straightening. (1) Develop an extrusion process for titanium alloy profiles, and prepare 3–4 types of typical alloy profiles ； (2) Study lubrication process technologies to determine the composition, particle size, and lubrication method of glass lubricants ； (3) Study extrusion die and die surface treatment technologies, and design and manufacture dies that meet the requirements ； (4) Study the profile straightening process technology and establish the straightening process parameters ； (5) Study the heat treatment processes for profiles, and conduct tests on their microstructural properties as well as fracture analysis. 3. Main evaluation indicators: (1) The cross-sectional area of the large-section \"U\"-shaped and \"L\"-shaped thick-walled profiles made of TA15 and TC4 alloys should be in the range of 1500 mm2–3000 mm2 ； The cross-sectional area of small-section thin-walled \"T\"-shaped and \"L\"-shaped billets ranges from 100 mm2 to 300 mm2 ； The shape and size accuracy meet **Key Model Standard 11-CL-147** ； (2) The mechanical properties of the extruded profiles made of TA15 alloy are as follows: Rm≥930MPa, A≥7%, Z≥20%, αk≥30J/cm2 ； The mechanical properties of the extruded TC4 alloy profiles are as follows: Rm≥895MPa, A≥10%, Z≥20%. 4. Project funding: 6 million yuan in government-funded funds, with self-raised funds being no less than three times the amount of government funding. 5. Application Requirements: The applying entity should have a foundation in preliminary research on titanium alloy profile extrusion technology, as well as expertise and personnel in areas such as extrusion lubrication, die design, extrusion processes, and post-extrusion straightening. It must also possess the necessary research and testing equipment, along with secured funding for these purposes. Project 4: Research on Recycling Technologies for Titanium Alloy Scrap 1. Project Objectives: In light of the low recycling rate of titanium and titanium alloy scrap in China, as well as the lack of breakthroughs in related identification and melting technologies, this project aims to conduct research on recycling technologies for two commonly used titanium alloy scrap types, TC4 and TA15. It seeks to develop fast, clean, and pollution-free treatment methods for recycling bulk materials, master the key technologies necessary for industrial-scale processing of scrap, and ensure that such scrap meets the requirements of vacuum arc furnaces and cold bed furnaces. This will help improve the utilization rate of titanium resources while reducing the production costs of titanium alloys ； A production line was built with a processing capacity of 2,000 tons per year for recycled materials, enabling the industrialized and stable bulk recovery of such materials. 2. Main research contents: (1) Study rapid, clean, and pollution-free treatment technologies for returned materials, and master the technology for preparing returned materials with an appropriate particle size ； (2) Study the use of titanium alloy return material technology in vacuum consumable arc furnaces to incorporate return material in typical alloys ； (3) Research was conducted on using titanium alloy return material technology in cold bed furnaces for partial alloy melting experiments. 3. Key evaluation indicators: (1) Production of titanium alloys of grades such as TC4, TA15, TA7, TA5, Ti-75, TA12, TA18, and TA19 using recycled materials ； The ingots produced from recycled materials have a diameter of not less than Φ600mm, with a single weight of over 3 tons ； (2) The titanium alloy ingots obtained from the recycled material have uniform chemical composition, free from metallurgical defects such as high-density and low-density inclusions; the quality of these ingots meets the requirements specified in technical standards such as GB, GJB, ASTM, AMS, MIL, ASNA, and AIMS ； (3) The three-dimensional dimensions of the returned material particles are all less than 30 mm, with a clean surface and no contamination ； (4) The addition ratio of return material in vacuum consumable arc furnaces reaches over 20%, while that in cold bed furnaces reaches over 50% ； (5) Achieve industrial-scale mass production, with the capacity to process 2,000 tons per year of clean, pollution-free return material with an appropriate particle size. Playing in water 20:27:21 (2) Location, time, and contact person for sending materials: Room 907, No. 12 Yi, Fuxing Road, Beijing, Postal Code: 100814. Deadline for applications: May 3, 2008 (subject to the postmark date in Beijing). Contact persons: Zhou Kun, Kang Hao, Wang Huaiguo. Phone: 010-63971531/63973978. Fax: 010-63979392. Email: cmc@chinamg.org (Send the electronic version of the application materials to this email address)