Objectif Realization of a demonstration plant using an innovative technology for the melting of titanium scrap and direct casting of shapes such as slabs, blooms, billets, round sections ready to be rolled thanks to their shape and quality.The equipment is able to melt an all-titanium scrap stock by a consumable electrode arc melting innovative process under vacuum. The process produce a single melt ingot highly reducing the energy and labour consumption with respect either to conventional reference technology or to other hi-tech technologies developed in non EU countries under monopolistic regime.The plant will allow a significant energy saving and a lower environmental impact in comparison to the currently used processes by means of : drastic reduction of the sponge quantity in raw material charge; high energy-efficient melting furnace; casting of shapes more "in progress" in the manufacturing process (avoiding the forging or blooming phase).The expected and labour cost saving is about 30% and the expected pay-back time for the demonstrative plant is ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 years.1. The project refers to a plant for Titanium ingots and slabs making using an innovative type of furnace : a Skull Melting furnace, using the skull as consumable electrode. A Skull Melting Furnace is a DC electric arc furnace working in vacuum; it is intended for melting and casting of reactive metals like Titanium is. The proposed innovative version of Skull Melting furnace is intended for ingots and slabs production; it does not require a purposely fabricated consumable electrode : in fact it uses as consumable electrode the solidified skull obtained in one of the previous heats, i.e. the solidified metal remained in the crucible after pouring. Before melting starts, the crucible is charged with feeding materials (scraps up to 100%). This technology will avoid the consumption of big quantity of Titanium sponge.2. In fact Titanium is a metal having some peculiarities, one of them being the unusual system used to extract the metal from its ore. The result of this complex process is spongy material, called Titanium sponge. Titanium sponge must be melted into an ingot of solid metal prior any commercial usage. The traditional way to do this is compact the sponge into a cylindrical electrode by means of high power presses. The electrode is melted twice or more times into a furnace called VAR (Vacuum Arc Re-melting). VAR furnaces can produce only cylindrical ingots : any further working requires the breakdown forging at high temperature of the ingots to produce billets or slabs. Nowadays, most Titanium is produced via VAR using almost exclusively sponge as raw material. In EC countries, no sponge producer is present, while several users of the sponge and the solid metal products are active. 3. The innovative Skull Melting technology is expected to have minor investment cost than EB technology : because of economic risks, directly related to technical risks, the demonstrative plant is foreseen for a production of 500 t/y of final product. Champ scientifique engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals Programme(s) FP4-NNE-THERMIE C - Specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1994-1998 Thème(s) 6.2 - INDUSTRY Appel à propositions Data not available Régime de financement DEM - Demonstration contracts Coordinateur TECNOCENTRO S.R.L Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée Adresse CHIASSUOLO S.GUISEPPE 2 05100 Terni Italie Voir sur la carte Coût total Aucune donnée
