Current Status of Titanium Recycling and Related Technologies

The major resource for recycling Ti is currently in-house Ti scrap generated in smelting and fabrication processes instead of postconsumer Ti products, and the actual recycling rate including cascade recycling in the smelting and fabrication industry is high. The major impurities in Ti scrap are O and Fe. High-grade Ti scrap with low O and Fe concentrations is remelted to obtain Ti and its alloys. On the other hand, low-grade Ti scrap with high O and Fe concentrations is used as ferrotitanium for the steel industry. However, if demand for Ti drastically increases, the amount of low-grade Ti scrap generated would exceed the demand for ferrotitanium. Before this happens, technologies for anti-contamination or for efficient O and Fe removal must be developed for efficient utilization of Ti. Herein, the current status of Ti scrap generation and its recycling flow are reviewed. New developments in Ti recycling technology are also discussed.