Titanium Business
Our titanium business mainly provides “Titanium Sponge” and “Titanium Ingot” melted with our titanium sponge. Our titanium sponge offers the best quality because very unique our own in-house technology is applied to produce titanium sponge, while basic process is originated from “Kroll Process” in which tetrachloride titanium is generated by chloride reaction with titanium ore (main ingredient is TiO₂), afterward reacted with magnesium to remove chlorine and consequently titanium sponge is produced .
A major feature of our method is "vacuum distillation," which effectively removes magnesium and magnesium chloride contained in the titanium sponge. This method allows us to produce high-quality titanium sponge. Our titanium sponge is exported mainly for aircraft materials and has a fine track record amassed over many years for its quality and has an excellent reputation among users worldwide.
Towards Ultimate Stable Quality
Expanding the application areas—spreading our unique in-house manufacturing tech and quality tech throughout the world
The high level of our technologies for manufacturing titanium products is well demonstrated by the fact that our products are used as engine components and structural materials designed for light-weight airframes needed by customers in the aerospace industry where quality requirements are severe.
Technical requirements from aircraft manufacturers are all very severe, and in order to qualify as a supplier we must constantly produce a stable supply of materials with proven high quality sustained over long period of time after initial delivery. This approach of ours to the "absolute stable quality" required by the aerospace industry has allowed us maintain our leading position in titanium manufacture.
Broadening the World of Titanium with an Eye towards Future Possibilities
The potential capabilities of titanium have been well recognized and its range of applications keeps expanding even further.
We never cease working along with our customers to proactively develop new titanium applications.
Titanium Manufacturing Process (Kroll Process)
-
Titanium Tetrachloride Producing Process
This process manufactures titanium tetrachloride by utilizing a reaction occurring between chlorine and the titanium oxide in material ore. Moreover, the chlorine utilized here is what has been collected by electrolyzing magnesium chloride, which is a byproduct made in the reduction and distillation process. Incidentally, the following distillation process reduces impurities to substantially zero.
TiO2+2Cl2+C→TiCl4+CO2 -
Reduction and Distillation Process
Porous titanium sponge lumps are produced by utilizing the reaction between purified titanium tetrachloride and molten magnesium and then removing the magnesium metal and magnesium chloride contained in the produced titanium sponge by applying the vacuum distilling method to generate high quality titanium sponge in the following reduction reaction. TiCl4+2Mg→Ti+2MgCl2
-
Melting Process
Titanium sponge or recycled material used as the raw material is melted and purified in a vacuum by using the electron beam melting furnace (EB furnace) or vacuum arc remelting furnace (VAR furnace), and then casting the material in a water-cooled copper mold to produce ingots.
From Titanium Sponge to Mill Products
Growth Strategy
Joint Venture for Titanium Sponge Production in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
In January 2014, Toho Titanium Co., Ltd. (“Toho”), The National Industrialization Company (“Tasnee”) and its parent company, The National Titanium Dioxide Company Limited (“Cristal”) agreed to establish a joint venture company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to produce and sell titanium sponge. A definitive joint venture agreement for the project was entered into in December 2014 between Toho and Advanced Metal Industries Cluster Company Limited (“AMIC”), a company established for the project in which Cristal and Tasnee each own a 50% equity interest. A joint venture company to operate the project was established by AMIC and Toho in February 2016.
The joint venture company completed the construction of a new titanium sponge plant in Yanbu Industrial City, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and is currently preparing for the start-up of commercial production at the plant. The first batch reduction and distillation test at the plant was successfully completed in August 2018.
The new plant will be provided a stable supply of titanium tetrachloride, the primary raw material for titanium sponge, from a titanium dioxide plant adjacent to it. It is expected the new plant will be among the most cost-competitive titanium sponge plant in the world, taking advantage of Toho’s advanced production technology and competitive energy costs in Saudi Arabia.
Outline of the Joint Venture Company
| Corporate Name | Advanced Metal Industries Cluster and Toho Titanium Metal Company Limited |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Yanbu, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Business | Manufacture and sale of titanium sponge |
| Capital | SAR 450,000,000 (USD 120 million) |
| Date of Establishment | February 29, 2016 |
| Fiscal Year-End | 31 December |
| Main Shareholders | Toho 35.0%, AMIC 65.0% |
-
New plant -
Reduction and distillation test at the new plant (first test batch)
Joint venture project to produce titanium-alloy products for aerospace ( NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN NAOETSU TITANIUM CO.,LTD)
Based on the joint venture agreement with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (“NSSMC”), Toho Titanium Co., Ltd. (“Toho”) in April 2014 made an equity participation NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN NAOETSU TITANIUM CO.,LTD. (“NSSNT”) which was established by NSSMC in September 2013 to produce titanium-alloy ingots for aerospace applications. NSSNT has installed VAR (Vacuum Arc Remelting) furnaces in December 2014 and stated producing titanium-alloy ingots.
We will strongly promote our melting businesses with our four production sites along with Chigasaki Plant, Yahata Plant and Hitachi Plant.