TIMET is the world's leading fully-integrated titanium manufacturer, controlling every step of the process, from refining titanium sponge (the commercially-pure, elemental form of titanium) to melting ingot and slab (from sponge, scrap and alloy elements), to forging mill products.
The first step in the production of sponge (so-called for it's sponge-like appearance) involves the chlorination of titanium-containing rutile ore, derived from Australian beach sand. Chlorine and coke are combined with the rutile to produce titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), which is then reacted with magnesium in a closed system. The by-products are sponge and magnesium chloride. Using the Vacuum Distillation Process or Kroll-leach process, the magnesium and mag chloride are removed to be recycled.
The sponge is melted with scrap and/or alloying elements such as vanadium, aluminum, molybdenum, tin and zirconium in a Vacuum Arc Reduction furnance (to produce VAR ingots) or in an Electron Beam (EB) Cold Hearth furnace, to produce remelt electrodes which can then be VAR melted (typically to meet aerospace requirements) or direct cast to slabs.
VAR ingots (cylindrical shapes weighing up to 17,500 pounds) are forged to slabs (rectangular shapes) or billets (bar shapes). Ingots are also used for investment casting stock.
Mill products result from the rolling or further processing of forged or cast slab or billet into plate, sheet (which can be cut into strip, which can then be formed into tube or pipe), bar, rod, and wire.
Distribution can be direct from the mill or via one of TIMET's seven international service centers.