Patent ID: 7156974
Filing Date: 2007-01-02
Classification: C22B,C25C

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing titanium or titanium alloy semi-finished or ready-to-use products which includes the steps of: (a) forming shaped bodies of titanium oxide particles by (i) sintering submicron size particles into millimeter-size particles, (ii) crushing the millimeter-size particles into 30–40 μm size particles, (iii) slip casting the 30–40 μm size particles into shaped bodies, (iv) drying the shaped bodies, and (v) sintering the shaped bodies; (b) positioning the shaped bodies in an electrolytic cell which includes: an anode, a cathode, and a molten electrolyte, with the shaped bodies forming at least a part of the cathode, and with the electrolyte including cations of a metal that is capable of chemically reducing titanium oxide; (c) reducing the titanium oxide to titanium in a solid state in the electrolytic cell so that the shaped bodies become shaped bodies of titanium sponge; and (d) processing the shaped bodies of titanium sponge to reduce the volume or at least one of the dimensions of the bodies thereby to form the semi-finished or ready-to-use products.