GB771633A - Improvements in or relating to the production of titanium boride - Google Patents

Abstract

Titanium boride is produced by heating an intimate mixture of titanium hydrate, carbon black and boric oxide or boric acid at a temperature of 1350-1750 DEG C. in an inert atmosphere, e.g. argon. The intimate mixture is produced by wet milling the ingredients to form a slurry. The slurry is preferably partially or completely dried to form a cake, the cake crushed, and the powder calcined, e.g. in an induction furnace or a rotating kiln. The boric oxide may be added to the dried slurry. The drying and calcining treatments may be combined. The titanium hydrate may be titanium metahydrate or orthohydrate, and is preferably an intermediate produced in the production of titanium dioxide pigment, formed by the hydrolysing of an acid solution of a titaniferous ore and containing residual acid, e.g. 10 per cent of sulphuric acid or a similar amount of hydrochloric acid. The carbon may be in the form of lamp black or oil burner soot of particle size 0.01-0.05 microus. An excess of 10 per cent ormore of boric oxide is preferably employed. The product has a particle size of 1-50 microns.