Electrolytic process to produce titanium from TiO 2 feed

In order for titanium to become a commodity metal, one requirement is that it must be produced more economically than by standard Kroll processing. An electrolysis process has been demonstrated that utilises TiO2 as feed and which produces particulate titanium. The TiO2 is carbothermically reduced from +4 to +2 valence and is utilised as an anode with stoichiometric carbon which, under electrolysis in a fused salt, produces titanium particles and CO/CO2 at the anode.