Unlike many metals, titanium cannot be smelted from its ore using a basic blast furnace due to its high reactivity. Instead, it undergoes a complex, multi-step chemical process, making its production both challenging and costly(Titanium vs. Steel and Aluminum, n.d.).
Chlorination starts with titanium-bearing ores such as rutile (TiO₂) or ilmenite (FeTiO₃). These ores are combined with carbon and exposed to chlorine gas at high temperatures, resulting in the formation of liquid titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄), an essential intermediate compound(Seeboth, 2023).
Purification involves removing impurities from the crude TiCl₄ through fractional distillation to obtain a highly pure form.
Reduction involves transferring the purified liquid TiCl₄ to a large stainless-steel reactor, where it reacts with molten magnesium in an oxygen-free environment. This reaction converts TiCl₄ into pure titanium metal, forming a porous solid known as titanium sponge. The byproduct, magnesium chloride (MgCl₂), is a liquid that is separated and frequently recycled(How Is Titanium Made? | Metallurgy for Dummies, n.d.).
Titanium sponge is first crushed and pressed into compacts, then melted into solid ingots using a vacuum arc remelting furnace. During this melting process, alloying elements like aluminum and vanadium are added to create high-performance titanium alloys suitable for critical applications.
Titanium is known for its remarkable strength and light weight, but what makes it so notoriously difficult and expensive to produce?
Reference:
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How is Titanium Made? | Metallurgy for Dummies. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2025, from https://www.metallurgyfordummies.com/how-is-titanium-made.html
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Seeboth, M. (2023, September 22). The Process of Producing Titanium. American Carbon Company. https://amcarbon.com/how-titanium-is-produced/
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Titanium vs. Steel and Aluminum. (n.d.). Titanium Processing Center. Retrieved September 11, 2025, from https://www.titaniumprocessingcenter.com/titanium-history-developments-and-applications/
