Titanium Ore is one of WoW's most valuable resources before Cataclysm. Titanium ore - finding and farming Titanium ore wow where to collect

It is one of the most important structural materials because it combines strength, hardness and lightness. However, other properties of the metal are very specific, which makes the process of obtaining the substance difficult and expensive. And today we will consider the global titanium production technology; we will briefly mention and.

The metal exists in two modifications.

• α-Ti– exists up to a temperature of 883 C, has a dense hexagonal lattice.
• β-Ti– has a body-centered cubic lattice.

The transition occurs with a very small change in density, since the latter gradually decreases when heated.

• During operation of titanium products, in most cases they deal with the α-phase. But when melting and manufacturing alloys, metallurgists work with the β-modification.
• The second feature of the material is anisotropy. The elasticity coefficient and magnetic susceptibility of a substance depend on the direction, and the difference is quite noticeable.
• The third feature is the dependence of the properties of the metal on its purity. Ordinary technical titanium is not suitable, for example, for use in rocket science, because due to impurities it loses its heat resistance. In this area of ​​industry, only extremely pure substances are used.

This video will tell you about the composition of titanium:

Titanium production

The use of metal began only in the 50s of the last century. Its extraction and production is a complex process, due to which this relatively common element was classified as conditionally rare. And then we will look at the technology and equipment of titanium production shops.

Raw materials

Titanium ranks 7th in terms of abundance in nature. Most often these are oxides, titanates and titanosilicates. The maximum amount of the substance is contained in dioxides - 94–99%.

• Rutile– the most stable modification, is a mineral of bluish, brownish-yellow, red color.
• Anataz- a rather rare mineral, at a temperature of 800–900 C it turns into rutile.
• Brookite– a crystal of the orthorhombic system, at 650 C irreversibly transforms into rutile with a decrease in volume.

• More common metal-iron compounds are ilmenite(up to 52.8% titanium). These are geikilite, pyrophanite, crichton - the chemical composition of ilmenite is very complex and varies widely.
• The result of weathering of ilmenite is used for industrial purposes - leucoxene. Here a rather complex chemical reaction occurs, in which some of the iron is removed from the ilmenite lattice. As a result, the volume of titanium in the ore increases – up to 60%.
• They also use ore where the metal is not associated with ferrous iron, as in ilmenite, but appears in the form of ferrous iron titanate - this arizonite, pseudobrookite.

The most important deposits are ilmenite, rutile and titanomagnetite. They are divided into 3 groups:

• igneous– are associated with areas of distribution of ultrabasic and basic rocks, in other words, with the distribution of magma. Most often these are ilmenite, titanomagnetite ilmenite-hematite ores;
• exogenous deposits– placer and residual, alluvial, alluvial-lacustrine deposits of ilmenite and rutile. As well as coastal-sea placers, titanium, anatase ores in weathering crusts. Coastal marine placers are of greatest importance;
• metamorphosed deposits– sandstones with leucoxene, ilmenite-magnetite ores, continuous and disseminated.

Exogenous deposits - residual or placer deposits, are developed using the open-pit method. Dredges and excavators are used for this purpose.

The development of primary deposits is associated with the sinking of mines. The resulting ore is crushed and enriched on site. Gravity enrichment, flotation, and magnetic separation are used.

Titanium slag can be used as a feedstock. It contains up to 85% metal dioxide.

Receiving technology

The process of producing metal from ilmenite ores consists of several stages:

• reduction smelting to obtain titanium slag;
• chlorination of slag;
• metal production by restoration;
• Titanium refining – as a rule, is carried out to improve the properties of the product.

The process is complex, multi-stage and expensive. As a result, a fairly affordable metal turns out to be very expensive to produce.

This video will tell you about the production of titanium:

Receiving slag

Ilmenite is an association of titanium oxide with ferrous iron. Therefore, the purpose of the first stage of production is to separate the dioxide from the iron oxides. To do this, iron oxides are reduced.

The process is carried out in electric arc furnaces. The ilmenite concentrate is loaded into the furnace, then a reducing agent is introduced - charcoal, anthracite, coke, and heated to 1650 C. In this case, iron is reduced from the oxide. Cast iron is obtained from reduced and carburized iron, and titanium oxide turns into slag. The latter ultimately contains 82–90% titanium.

Cast iron and slag are poured into separate molds. Cast iron is used in metallurgical production.

Slag chlorination

The purpose of the process is to obtain metal tetrachloride for further use. It turns out to be impossible to directly chlorinate ilmenite concentrate due to the formation of a large amount of ferric chloride - the compound very quickly destroys the equipment. Therefore, it is impossible to do without the stage of preliminary removal of iron oxide. Chlorination is carried out in mine or salt chlorinators. The process is slightly different.

• Mine chlorinator– a lined cylindrical structure with a height of up to 10 m and a diameter of up to 2 m. Briquettes of crushed slag are placed on top of the chlorinator, and gas from magnesium electrolyzers containing 65–70% chlorine is fed through the tuyeres. The reaction between titanium slag and chlorine occurs with the release of heat, which provides the temperature required for the process. Titanium tetrachloride gas is removed from the top, and the remaining slag is continuously removed from the bottom.
• Salt chlorinator, a chamber lined with chamotte and half filled with the spent electrolyte of magnesium electrolyzers. The melt contains metal chlorides - sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Crushed titanium slag and coke are fed into the melt from above, and chlorine is injected from below. Since the chlorination reaction is exothermic, the temperature regime is maintained by the process itself.

Titanium tetrachloride is purified several times. Gas may contain carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other impurities, so purification is carried out in several stages.

The spent electrolyte is periodically replaced.

Metal production

The metal is reduced from tetrachloride with magnesium or sodium. Reduction occurs with the release of heat, which allows the reaction to be carried out without additional heating.

Electric resistance furnaces are used for restoration. First, a sealed flask made of chromium alloys 2–3 m high is placed in the chamber. After the container is heated to +750 C, magnesium is introduced into it. And then titanium tetrachloride is supplied. The feed is adjustable.

1 recovery cycle lasts 30–50 hours, so that the temperature does not rise above 800–900 C, the retort is blown with air. As a result, from 1 to 4 tons of spongy mass are obtained - the metal is deposited in the form of crumbs, which are sintered into a porous mass. Liquid magnesium chloride is periodically drained.

The porous mass absorbs quite a lot of magnesium chloride. Therefore, after reduction, vacuum distillation is carried out. To do this, the retort is heated to 1000 C, a vacuum is created in it and kept for 30–50 hours. During this time, impurities evaporate.

Reduction with sodium proceeds in much the same way. The difference is only in the last stage. To remove sodium chloride impurities, titanium sponge is crushed and the salt is leached from it with ordinary water.

Refining

The technical titanium obtained in the manner described above is quite suitable for the production of equipment and containers for the chemical industry. However, for areas where high heat resistance and uniformity of properties are required, metal is not suitable. In this case, they resort to refining.

Refining is carried out in a thermostat, where the temperature is maintained at 100–200 C. A retort with a titanium sponge is placed in the chamber, and then, using a special device, a capsule with iodine is broken in a closed chamber. Iodine reacts with the metal to form titanium iodide.

Titanium wires are stretched in the retort, through which an electric current is passed. The wire heats up to 1300–1400 C, the resulting iodide decomposes on the wire, forming crystals of the purest titanium. Iodine is released and reacts. With a new portion of titanium sponge, the process continues until the metal is exhausted. The production is stopped when, due to titanium growth, the wire diameter becomes 25–30 mm. In one such apparatus you can obtain 10 kg of metal with a share of 99.9–99.99%.

If it is necessary to obtain malleable metal in ingots, proceed differently. To do this, titanium sponge is melted in a vacuum arc furnace, since the metal actively absorbs gases at high temperatures. The consumable electrode is obtained from titanium waste and sponge. The liquid metal solidifies in an apparatus in a crystallizer cooled by water.

Melting is usually repeated twice to improve the quality of the ingots.

Due to the characteristics of the substance - reactions with oxygen, nitrogen and absorption of gases, the production of all titanium alloys is also possible only in electric arc vacuum furnaces.

Read about Russia and other titanium producing countries below.

Popular manufacturers

The titanium production market is quite closed. As a rule, countries that produce large amounts of metal are themselves its consumers.

In Russia, the largest and perhaps the only company engaged in the production of titanium is VSMPO-Avisma. It is considered the largest metal manufacturer, but this is not entirely true. The company produces a fifth of titanium, but global consumption looks different: about 5% is spent on products and the preparation of alloys, and 95% is spent on producing dioxide.

So, titanium production in the world by country:

• The leading producing country is China. The country has maximum reserves of titanium ores. Of the 18 known titanium sponge factories, 9 are located in China.
• Japan ranks second. Interestingly, in the country, only 2-3% of the metal is used in the aerospace sector, while the rest is used in the chemical industry.
• Russia and its numerous factories occupy third place in the world in titanium production. Then comes Kazakhstan.
• The USA, the next producing country on the list, consumes titanium in a traditional way: 60–75% of titanium is used by the aerospace industry.

Titanium production is a technologically complex, expensive and time-consuming process. However, the demand for this material is so great that a significant increase in metal smelting is predicted.

This video will tell you how titanium is cut at one of the production facilities in Russia:

Titanium markets

Regional end-use markets for titanium vary widely - the most notable example of diversity being Japan, where the civil aerospace sector accounts for only 2-3% while using 30% of total titanium consumption in chemical plant equipment and structural components. Approximately 20% of total demand in Japan comes from nuclear energy and solid fuel power plants, the rest comes from architecture, medicine and sports. The opposite picture is observed in the USA and Europe, where consumption in the aerospace sector is extremely important - 60-75% and 50-60% for each region, respectively. In the US, traditionally strong end markets are chemicals, medical devices, industrial equipment, while in Europe the oil and gas and construction industries account for the largest share. Heavy dependence on aerospace has been a long-standing concern for the titanium industry, which is trying to expand titanium's applications , which is especially important in the context of the current recession in civil aviation on a global scale. According to the US Geological Survey, in the first quarter of 2003 there was a significant decline in imports of titanium sponge - only 1319 tons, which is 62% less than 3431 tons for the same period in 2002.

Russian titanium manufacturer VSMPO-AVISMA

On July 1, 1933, plant No. 45 was launched in the Moscow region. From this day, the history of the Verkhnesalda Metallurgical Production Association (VSMPO) begins. The enterprise was to become the main supplier of semi-finished products made of aluminum and its alloys for the nascent Soviet aircraft industry. This was the main task. But besides this, the plant was assigned the role of a scientific base where new alloys were developed. For example, for the manufacture of power elements of the ANT-40 high-speed bomber, the M-95 high-strength alloy was created. And in 1935, malleable aluminum alloys AK 5 and AK 6 were mastered.

The Great Patriotic War sharply disrupted the usual rhythm of work. In October 1941, the USSR State Defense Committee decided to completely evacuate the plant to the Sverdlovsk region, to the city of Verkhnyaya Salda. Plant No. 519 of the People's Commissariat of Non-Ferrous Metallurgy, whose equipment arrived from Kolchugino and two Leningrad enterprises, was located in the same workshops of the former Verkhnaya Saldinsk "Stalkonstruktsiya". The innovative traditions of aluminum workers near Moscow were transferred to the Ural soil. Already in December 1941, literally a month and a half after the evacuation order, the plant produced its first products at the new location.

In the spring of 1942, the production of aluminum parts had already reached pre-war levels, and in 1943 the design capacity of the enterprise was exceeded 6 times! The needs of the Soviet aircraft industry were fully satisfied. In addition, semi-finished products produced in Verkhnaya Salda were widely used in shipbuilding and tank building, production of ammunition and weapons.

The rapid development of advanced technologies in the post-war period required the use of new materials. By the decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on June 21, 1956, the plant was given a historical task: to begin large-scale production of ingots and semi-finished products from titanium alloys. In February 1957, the first titanium ingot with a diameter of 100 mm and a weight of 4 kg came out of the factory furnaces. This small metal cylinder became the first step towards the ascent of the future VSMPO-AVISMA to the world titanium Olympus. We became the second in the world to start producing “space metal.” The USA is 9 years ahead of us. But from this historical moment, a new era of VSMPO production began - titanium.

General Director of the VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation Vladislav Tetyukhin, a participant in the first titanium smelting at the plant, notes: “Speaking about the beginning of the industrial development of titanium production, we pay tribute and gratitude to the pioneers and founders of the high-tech industry of our country, which today allows us to conduct an equal dialogue with managers the most representative firms and companies in the field of global aircraft manufacturing. Moreover, they extend a hand of cooperation to us and are ready to jointly move forward the most ambitious projects.”

In the small Ural town of Verkhnyaya Salda, about 80% of all rolled titanium in the Soviet Union was supposed to be produced. This decision was made by the USSR Ministry of Aviation Industry. The company has become one of the world's largest producers of ingots and most types of rolled products from titanium alloys. All aerospace projects in our country took place with his participation. Up to 75% of titanium products and up to 95% of aluminum alloy products were sent to the aerospace complex and defense industries.

The association, in collaboration with specialists from VILS, VIAM, and design bureaus of aircraft and engine factories, created products for critical components of all domestic aircraft engines, as well as for airframes and landing gear of aircraft and helicopters: IL-76, IL-86, IL-114, Tu-204, Tu-160, AN-124 (“Ruslan”), AN-225 (“Mriya”), AN-22 (“Antey”), Su-27, MiG-29, Mi-26, IL-96-300, AN -70, MiG-31 and others. VSMPO participated in the scientific and technical development of the docking port of the Soyuz-Apollo space complex, in the Buran reusable spacecraft, and in the Energia launch vehicle.

In 1982, the enterprise became known as VSMPO - Verkhnesalda Metallurgical Production Association. Titanium production continues to develop, which in the late eighties set an absolute world record for annual production of ingots - over 100 thousand tons.

VSMPO produces products and parts for the aircraft rocket industry and the defense industry; this enterprise uses high-quality titanium sponge and imposes appropriate requirements on the products of AVISMA OJSC. However, in the global market for “advanced” titanium processing, VSMPO products are still practically uncompetitive, so the association, in fact, has to limit itself to the supply of semi-finished products. Metallurgical enterprises use titanium sponge of lower grades in their production. Relations between Avisma and VSMPO are complicated by the desire of the Verkhny Salda residents, as the main owners of the Berezniki enterprise, to buy sponge at a fixed dollar rate, much less than that established by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

In the USA, the largest consumers of Russian sponge are the companies RMI Titanium, which recently abandoned its production of titanium sponge due to the environmental hazards of production, Axel Johnson, Wyman-Gordon, Titanium Heart Technologies. American titanium sponge consumers account for 30% of the world's titanium sponge consumers. If in 1996 the world leader in aircraft manufacturing, the American company Boeing, produced 220 aircraft, then in 1997 - 340, and in 1998 plans to increase production to 43 aircraft per month. Moreover, if on a Boeing 747 aircraft the mass of parts and assemblies made of titanium alloys is about 4.5 tons, then on the newest 777 model, according to some estimates, from 40 to 45 tons! It is expected that the titanium needs of the Boeing Corporation alone will reach 12 thousand tons in 1998. The consumption of titanium is also growing in such exotic applications as the manufacture of golf clubs. In 1996, golf clubs accounted for 11% of total titanium metal consumption in the United States.

Titanium is one of the elements widely used in industrial production. The most important types of titanium products are pigment titanium dioxide (world production is about 3 million tons of TiO2 per year) and metallic titanium (60-70 thousand tons of Ti per year). Almost 90% of titanium dioxide is used as a filler in rubber, paper, plastics, in matting artificial fibers, as a silicone rubber enhancer, in semiconductor ceramics, etc. Titanium metal and its alloys, which have high corrosion resistance and a good combination of mechanical and technological properties, are used in a wide variety of industries: aviation, space, chemical, metallurgical, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding.

The main producers of titanium dioxide pigment are the USA, Germany, Japan, England, France (about 70% of world production). Titanium metal is produced in the USA, Japan, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and China.

In the CIS countries, the leading places in explored reserves of titanium ores are occupied by the Russian Federation (58.5%) and Ukraine (40.2%). However, in Russia there are mainly undeveloped deposits from which titanium concentrate is not produced. The main producer of titanium raw materials (ilmenite, rutile) in the CIS is Ukraine. In general, a large number of titanium deposits are known in the CIS, which belong to various industrial and genetic types (Table 1). According to the conditions of formation, they are divided into igneous, weathering crust (residual), placers and metamorphosed deposits. In the CIS, the leading role in the production of titanium concentrates is played by ancient coastal marine (ilmenite, rutile, zircon, etc.), as well as alluvial and alluvial-deluvial placers of ilmenite and its residual deposits, concentrated mainly in Ukraine. Of the large number of titanium-containing minerals, the main ones of industrial importance are ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, and anatase. Perovskite, sphene and titanomagnetite are promising.

Industrial ores contain 0.5-35% TiO2, disseminated ores of igneous deposits usually contain 7-10% TiO2. Placers are often characterized by lower titanium contents. However, the relatively simple production of titanium concentrates from placers makes their operation profitable. The extracted material is processed at processing plants, where independent concentrates are obtained: ilmenite, rutile, zircon, staurolite, etc. Most of the resulting titanium concentrates contain a whole group of impurity elements (Sc, V, Ta, Nb, TR, Ga, etc.), of industrial value. Of particular value among them is the expensive scandium, which is constantly contained in ilmenite (up to 0.02%) and rutile (up to 0.01%). In 1995, in the USA, 1 g of Sc2O3 (99.9%) cost $63.2, and 1 g of metallic scandium (99.99%) cost $125 (according to a commercial catalogue).

Currently, titanium concentrates are not obtained from ores of primary deposits in the CIS. Abroad, the main producers of ilmenite concentrate from primary deposit ores are Canada and Norway. In total, they account for about 30% of the world's annual titanium production.

In Russia, all the most important titanium deposits are located in nine metallogenic provinces. The main titanium ore provinces of Russia, in which 81.6% of its reserves and 52.4% of titanium resources are concentrated, are: Timan (Yagerskoye and other deposits), Oklemo-Stanovaya (Kruchininskoye, Bolshoy Seyim, etc.), Ural (Medvedevskoye, Kopanskoye, etc.) (Fig. 1). Among these provinces, Timan stands apart, characterized by a unique genetic type of titanium deposits represented by oil-bearing leucoxene sandstones. Ore reserves are significant, exceeding tens of millions of tons at individual sites. The content of leucoxene in them ranges from tens to several hundred kg/m3 (Yaregskoye and others). The TiO2 content in sandstones is on average 10.5%. The content of leucoxene in the heavy fraction is up to 80-90%. Niobium, tantalum, and zirconium are present as important rare metal impurities. The concentrate obtained after enrichment, containing 45-55% TiO2, 34-40% SiO2 and 5-35% oil, after oil separation is suitable for the production of pigment titanium dioxide.

Another promising type of titanium deposits for Russia is igneous (deposits of the Kolar, Dzhugdzhur, Baladek anorthosite massifs). The Bolshoy Seyim deposit (Amur region) may be of interest, its titanomagnetite-ilmenite ores contain 5-15% TiO2. From them, conditioned ilmenite concentrate (46% TiO2), magnetite (63% Fetotal, 0.7% V2O5), apatite (40% P2O5) concentrate was obtained. TiO2 reserves at the field are 23 million tons. The apatite-titanomagnetite ores of the Dzhugdzhur anorthosite massif, where three main ore fields are distinguished: Bogidesskoye, Gayumskoye and Maimakanskoye, deserve attention. These ores contain: 10-90% apatite, 50-70% titanomagnetite, up to 10% ilmenite. The concentration of TiO2 in titanomagnetite is 5.4-15.5%. A set of technological works has been completed to obtain ilmenite concentrate from the ores of the Medvedevsky, Kopansky and Matkalsky deposits (Ural), from which it is fundamentally possible to obtain titanium slag suitable for the production of pigment TiO2. These same deposits have significant reserves of vanadium, the production of which is also possible.

In the Russian Federation, ancient marine placers located on the Russian Plate (Lukoyanovskoye, Central), as well as some placers in Siberia (Tuganskoye, Tulunskoye deposits) are promising for titanium. In Russia as a whole, a noticeable expansion of the titanium mineral resource base is possible due to its significant predicted resources, which exceed reserves in categories A+B+C1+C2 by approximately two times (Fig. 1).

Quite numerous deposits of titanomagnetite stand out as a significant potential raw material for titanium (Table 2). They are confined to a number of igneous mafic-ultramafic formations. These deposits are found in the European part of the Russian Federation, in the Urals, and in Siberia. The average TiO2 content in the titanomagnetite concentrate of some deposits can reach 15-20% (Pudozhgorskoye, etc.). In addition, titanomagnetite ores of individual deposits are already the main source of vanadium in Russia (Gusevogorskoye, Pervouralskoye deposits). In the future, it is possible to obtain titanium, scandium, manganese, and gallium from them. Reserves of titanomagnetite ores in some deposits can reach several billion tons. Their share in the iron reserves of the CIS in 1990 was 7.7%, and production 8.3%. When melting the titanomagnetite contained in it, the titanium goes into slag, from where it can be extracted. Increasing the complexity of the use of titanomagnetite for the Russian Federation is significant, and the titanium contained in it can play an important role. Even titanomagnetites of the Gusevogorsk deposit, which are relatively low in titanium content (on average 3.3% TiO2), yield blast furnace slags that contain 9.4% TiO2.

Converter slag remaining after the processing of vanadic cast iron is also characterized by increased titanium content. It is possible that in the future it will be advisable to obtain from converter slag not only V2O5, but also titanium dioxide, alumina and manganese.

The production of titanium, as well as Al, TR, Nb from slags that are formed as a result of smelting concentrates obtained from perovskite-titanium magnetite ores (Afrikanda deposit and others on the Kola Peninsula) is promising. These slags contain, wt%: 39.9-42.2 TiO2; 5.8-6.6 Al2O3; 1.6-2.1 TR2O3; 0.4 Nb2O5. The significant scale of perovskite-titanium magnetite ores allows us to count on broad opportunities for their complex use.

An important direction in the development of the production of titanium raw materials is the production of artificial rutile from natural ilmenite concentrates and titanium slag (Fig. 2). Currently, the world produces ~830 thousand tons of synthetic rutile, a product rich in TiO2 content, suitable for the production of pigment titanium dioxide using the chlorine method.

The value of titanium raw materials is largely (~50%) determined by the rare metals present in it. With the chlorine method of processing titanium concentrates, rare metals accumulate in chloride sublimates in such quantities that, using existing technological methods, scandium trioxide, chromium concentrate, iron oxide pigments, manganese salts, coagulants for wastewater treatment, etc. can be obtained as commercial products (Fig. 3 ).

Thus, the resources of titanium raw materials in Russia are significant and are able to meet the needs for titanium for many decades. However, as a result of the collapse of the USSR, Russia was left both without developed deposits and without leading processing enterprises. The existing Bereznikovsky titanium-magnesium plant is currently not able to ensure the future development of the titanium industry of the Russian Federation, the needs of which are estimated at 300-675 thousand tons of TiO2 / year (Bykhovsky, Zubkov, 1996). Such large fields as Yaregskoye, Medvedevskoye, Bolshoy Seyim and others are not prepared for exploitation. At the same time, there are significant difficulties and shortcomings in the technology for producing titanium dioxide from their concentrates.

In this regard, the development of Russia’s own titanium industry (in addition to increasing reserves) should be determined by the technology of complex processing of concentrates from large titanium deposits located in regions with developed infrastructure. The problem of complexity is solved in the case of the introduction of chlorine technology, which makes it possible to extract from raw materials, in addition to titanium, such valuable metals as scandium, vanadium, chromium, niobium, etc. and can be practically waste-free and environmentally friendly.

What is titanium ore?

It is a very valuable resource. This statement is especially true for WoW before the release of the update called Cataclysm. Titanium ore up to this point has been of great importance to almost any character in this game. The fact is that it is necessary to create the so-called titanium steel. This material is widely used to produce objects that are unique in their characteristics, including truly powerful ones.

How can I get titanium ore?

In fact, there are several ways to do this. The easiest way, apparently, is to purchase similar material from other characters in WoW. Titanium ore in this case can be very expensive. Its price will entirely depend on the specific server. The more players there are, the lower the cost of all resources sold is usually. In addition, you can also find this mineral at auction. Titanium ore costs about the same as when purchased secondhand. The most difficult and time-consuming, but economical way to obtain this important mineral is to mine it yourself. In order to learn how to obtain it from deposits, you will have to work hard, because first you need to pump up your mining skill to a fairly high level. This can take more than one day, so it is recommended to take this profession along with an additional one at the initial levels. This will make the pumping process much easier and faster.

Where is the best place to mine titanium ore?

In the initial locations of Northrend, such material is very, very rare. Given the fairly high competition among users, it is almost impossible to extract titanium ore here. The richest locations in this metal are the Ice Crown and the Sholozar Lowlands. Titanium ore is really common here, especially when compared with other locations.

How to quickly obtain large quantities of this material?

It will not be possible to collect full bags of this ore too quickly. The fact is that many people need it and it is found, albeit in sufficient quantities in certain locations, but, having flown around the entire deposit, at best it will be possible to collect only a few complete “packs” of it. In order to extract a sufficient amount of this resource, it is necessary to first develop a detailed flight route. Naturally, in this case you need to switch the search mode to “minerals”. Titanium ore is usually located around the perimeter of locations, as well as near mountain ranges. As for the “Sholozar Lowlands,” you should first fly around the edges, and then cross through a large lake on the left, a deep depression with a flight director in the middle, and a mountain range on the right. This is how you can collect the maximum amount of titanium ore. The flight route along the Ice Crown will look approximately the same, with the only difference being that the middle of the location should be explored along the walls and you need to be very careful near the central mountain, since this mineral is found most often there.

Titanium- lightweight durable metal of silver-white color. It exists in two crystalline modifications: α-Ti with a hexagonal close-packed lattice, β-Ti with cubic body-centered packing, the temperature of the polymorphic transformation α↔β is 883 ° C. Titanium and titanium alloys combine lightness, strength, high corrosion resistance, low thermal coefficient expansion, ability to operate in a wide temperature range.

See also:

STRUCTURE

Titanium has two allotropic modifications. The low-temperature modification, existing up to 882 °C, has a hexagonal close-packed lattice with periods a = 0.296 nm and c = 0.472 nm. The high-temperature modification has a body-centered cube lattice with a period a = 0.332 nm.
The polymorphic transformation (882 °C) with slow cooling occurs according to the normal mechanism with the formation of equiaxed grains, and with rapid cooling - according to the martensitic mechanism with the formation of a needle-like structure.
Titanium has high corrosion and chemical resistance due to the protective oxide film on its surface. It does not corrode in fresh and sea water, mineral acids, aqua regia, etc.

PROPERTIES

Melting point 1671 °C, boiling point 3260 °C, density of α-Ti and β-Ti, respectively, is 4.505 (20 °C) and 4.32 (900 °C) g/cm³, atomic density 5.71 × 1022 at/ cm³. Plastic, weldable in an inert atmosphere.
Technical titanium used in industry contains impurities of oxygen, nitrogen, iron, silicon and carbon, which increase its strength, reduce ductility and affect the temperature of the polymorphic transformation, which occurs in the range of 865-920 °C. For technical Titanium grades VT1-00 and VT1-0, the density is about 4.32 g/cm 3 , tensile strength 300-550 MN/m 2 (30-55 kgf/mm 2), elongation not lower than 25%, Brinell hardness 1150 -1650 Mn/m 2 (115-165 kgf/mm 2). Is paramagnetic. Configuration of the outer electron shell of the Ti 3d24s2 atom.

It has a high viscosity and, during machining, is prone to sticking to the cutting tool, and therefore requires the application of special coatings to the tool and various lubricants.

At ordinary temperatures it is covered with a protective passivating film of TiO 2 oxide, making it corrosion resistant in most environments (except alkaline). Titanium dust tends to explode. Flash point 400 °C.

RESERVES AND PRODUCTION

Main ores: ilmenite (FeTiO 3), rutile (TiO 2), titanite (CaTiSiO 5).

As of 2002, 90% of mined titanium was used to produce titanium dioxide TiO 2 . World production of titanium dioxide was 4.5 million tons per year. Confirmed reserves of titanium dioxide (excluding Russia) are about 800 million tons. As of 2006, according to the US Geological Survey, in terms of titanium dioxide and excluding Russia, reserves of ilmenite ores amount to 603-673 million tons, and rutile ores - 49.7- 52.7 million tons. Thus, at the current rate of production, the world's proven reserves of titanium (excluding Russia) will last for more than 150 years.

Russia has the second largest reserves of titanium in the world, after China. The mineral resource base of titanium in Russia consists of 20 deposits (of which 11 are primary and 9 alluvial), fairly evenly distributed throughout the country. The largest of the explored deposits is located 25 km from the city of Ukhta (Komi Republic). The deposit's reserves are estimated at 2 billion tons.

The titanium ore concentrate is subjected to sulfuric acid or pyrometallurgical processing. The product of sulfuric acid treatment is titanium dioxide powder TiO 2. Using the pyrometallurgical method, the ore is sintered with coke and treated with chlorine, producing titanium tetrachloride vapor, which is reduced at 850 °C with magnesium.

The resulting titanium “sponge” is melted down and cleaned. Ilmenite concentrates are reduced in electric arc furnaces, followed by chlorination of the resulting titanium slag.

ORIGIN

Titanium is in 10th place in terms of prevalence in nature. The content in the earth's crust is 0.57% by weight, in sea water - 0.001 mg/l. In ultrabasic rocks 300 g/t, in basic rocks - 9 kg/t, in acidic rocks 2.3 kg/t, in clays and shales 4.5 kg/t. In the earth's crust, titanium is almost always tetravalent and is present only in oxygen compounds. Not found in free form. Under conditions of weathering and precipitation, titanium has a geochemical affinity with Al 2 O 3 . It is concentrated in bauxites of the weathering crust and in marine clayey sediments.
Titanium is transferred in the form of mechanical fragments of minerals and in the form of colloids. Up to 30% TiO 2 by weight accumulates in some clays. Titanium minerals are resistant to weathering and form large concentrations in placers. More than 100 minerals containing titanium are known. The most important of them are: rutile TiO 2, ilmenite FeTiO 3, titanomagnetite FeTiO 3 + Fe3O 4, perovskite CaTiO 3, titanite CaTiSiO 5. There are primary titanium ores - ilmenite-titanomagnetite and placer ores - rutile-ilmenite-zircon.
Titanium deposits are located in South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan, Australia, India, Ceylon, Brazil, South Korea, and Kazakhstan. In the CIS countries, the leading places in explored reserves of titanium ores are occupied by the Russian Federation (58.5%) and Ukraine (40.2%).

APPLICATION

Titanium alloys play an important role in aviation technology, where they strive to obtain the lightest structure combined with the necessary strength. Titanium is lightweight compared to other metals, but at the same time can operate at high temperatures. Titanium alloys are used to make the casing, fastening parts, power kit, chassis parts, and various units. These materials are also used in the construction of aircraft jet engines. This allows you to reduce their weight by 10-25%. Titanium alloys are used to produce compressor discs and blades, air intake and guide vane parts, and fasteners.

Titanium and its alloys are also used in rocket science. Due to the short-term operation of engines and the rapid passage of dense layers of the atmosphere in rocket science, the problems of fatigue strength, static endurance and partly creep are eliminated to a large extent.

Due to its insufficiently high thermal strength, technical titanium is not suitable for use in aviation, but due to its exceptionally high corrosion resistance, in some cases it is indispensable in the chemical industry and shipbuilding. Thus, it is used in the manufacture of compressors and pumps for pumping such aggressive media as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid and their salts, pipelines, shut-off valves, autoclave, various types of containers, filters, etc. Only titanium is corrosion resistant in environments such as wet chlorine, aqueous and acidic chlorine solutions, therefore equipment for the chlorine industry is made from this metal. Heat exchangers are made from titanium that operate in corrosive environments, for example, nitric acid (non-smoking). In shipbuilding, titanium is used for the manufacture of propellers, plating of ships, submarines, torpedoes, etc. Shells do not stick to titanium and its alloys, which sharply increase the resistance of the vessel as it moves.

Titanium alloys are promising for use in many other applications, but their spread in technology is hampered by the high cost and scarcity of titanium.

Titanium - Ti

CLASSIFICATION