facturing sponge. They have a process in the laboratory now. They are experimenting on a continuous process. Mr. BLUE. That is right. Senator MALONE. Is the contract of the required commercial production in your judgment liable to interfere with the laboratory work necessary to attempt to increase our total production of titanium at a more economical rate? Mr. BLUE. I think that the present contract with DMP for production of titanium metal will in some respects aid the research work that is going on, because it has given us more money to work with, and there is a certain amount of value in operating a plant which aids in research just the same as the research is of value in operating the plant. It may be true that if we had more money for research that the operation of the plant would handicap our research activities, but my information from Boulder City is that we are efficiently utilizing the research funds that we have for titanium. Senator MALONE. Testimony showed that there was some advantage to your research work in having such a contract, but that there would be a definite limit as to how much you could produce and still continue your laboratory work. Mr. BLUE. That is true. That depends on the facilities, funds, and manpower we have. The present titanium production process, magnesium reduction of titanium tetrachloride, retains the high costs features inherent in batch production processes. Cost reduction by this process may be expected if the technology is developed for a continuous chlorination process to lower the cost of titanium tetrachloride, by production of larger batches, and complete plant integration for electrolysis of magnesium chloride to recover magnesium and chlorine. In addition to reduction in the cost of sponge the cost of milled shapes could be reduced by development of processes to recover titanium scrap. Extensive research is required on developing improvements in the present process for producing titanium and also on electrolytic and other new methods of reduction. Considerable power is required in the production of titanium metal. Power required for titanium is about double that needed for electrolytic production of magnesium. This large power requirement is understandable in view of the fact that over a pound of magnesium is required for the production of 1 pound of titanium. Large-scale expansion of the titanium-metal industry will undoubtedly have to be centered at sites having access to large quantities of low-cost power, and would require definite scheduling of available or potential power sources. Senator MALONE. It was testified that 16 to 23 kilowatt-hours of power are necessary to produce a pound of titanium, depending upon the process and the latitude of work included in the process. With sponge selling for $5 per pound the kilowatt-hours, at even a cent a kilowatt-hour, would not be a very great percentage of the cost. Therefore, the power cost was apparently not as important as I had previously believed. Mr. BLUE. At $5 a pound it is not, that is true. Senator MALONE. The availability of the power is one of the greatest drawbacks to production right now. 39888-53-pt. 1--21 Mr. BLUE. That is true for all our light-metal-commodities. They are all large power consumers. Senator MALONE. I am interested in your statement that the price may be lowered. Which production process has the greatest prospect of bringing down the price of sponge? Mr. BLUE. I think the greatest prospects are in developing a technology for a continuous process as against a batch process with small batches. Senator MALONE. And you are working on that in your laboratory at Boulder City? Mr. BLUE. That is right. Senator MALONE. And that is the same laboratory that perfected the process in the beginning, at least to the point where you let contracts. Mr. BLUE. We worked on titanium at other laboratories than Boulder City, but that is where it is centered now, and where we did the large scale work. Senator MALONE. Then the text on titanium and rutile, the raw materials used in the production of titanium, will be accepted and appear at this point in your testimony. (The information is as follows:) TITANIUM SUMMARY Metallic titanium owes its importance to an unusual combination of properties-lightness, strength, and resistance to corrosion. Ductile titanium was virtually a laboratory curiosity a short time ago. Commercial production, based on the process developed by the Bureau of Mines, was begun in 1948 and increased from 10 tons in that year to 1,075 tons in 1952. Titanium is important in the manufacture of improved military equipment; its domestic ores are relatively abundant. Titanium is a low-density, silver-white metal between silver and stainless steel in color. The density of titanium is 0.16 pound per cubic inch, 60 percent heavier than alumium but only 56 percent as heavy as alloy steel. Titanium alloys are much stronger than aluminum alloys, having tensile strength and hardness approaching that of many alloy steels. The strength to weight ratio at ordinary temperatures exceeds that of either aluminum or stainless steel. Titanium alloys also have unusual resistance to fatigue and great impact strength. Titanium metal is more resistant to corrosion than aluminum and as resistant as stainless steels; it is particularly resistant to sea-water corrosion and marine atmospheric weathering. The chief disadvantages are high cost, difficulties of fabrication, and excessive reactivity at high temperatures. Although the melting point of titanium3,150° F.—is extremely high, it absorbs oxygen and nitrogen and becomes brittle above 1,000° F. Tonnage production and improved processing techniques are making more and more titanium available for new applications in the following civilian and military services: 1. Airframe skins and structures where intermediate temperatures or corrosion problems are found. 2. Aircraft powerplants where temperatures up to 1,000° F. are involved. 3. Naval or marine applications in which the complete resistance to seawater corrosion exhibited by titanium is unique. 4. Ordnance and other equipment in which a combination of light weight, corrosion resistance, high strength, and intermediate temperature propperties is required. 5. Industrial equipment for which titanium's particular corrosion resistance is desirable. The outstanding characteristics of titanium suggest numerous other uses. These include surgical instruments, orthopedic appliances, portable machine tools, sporting equipment, such as lightweight noncorroding gold clubs, tennis rackets and fishing rods, food handling and processing equipment, X-ray tube targets, and textile machinery. Although titanium is a new metal to industry the large-scale production of its oxide has provided an excellent raw-material base for development of the metal. Titanium-metal development comes at a fortunate time to ease the burden on the earth's dwindling resources. It is one of the "growing metals group" consisting of titanium, aluminum, and magnesium. The relatively large quantity of titanium potentialy available as compared to the small quantity of such metals as copper, lead, and zinc is striking. Present commercial production of ductile titanium metal is based on modifications of the Bureau of Mines process. Titanium tetrachloride, produced by chlorination of titanium ores, is reduced to the metallic state with magnesium in an inert atmosphere of helium or argon. Most of the magnesium chloride formed during the reaction is drained to prevent slowing the reaction rate. The remaining magnesium chloride and excess magnesium are removed from the spongelike titanium by vacuum distillation. The titanium sponge is consolidated by melting in induction or electric-arc furnaces. Ductile titanium metal is produced commercially by the Titanium Metals Corp. at Henderson, Nev., DuPont at Wilmington, Del., and on pilot-plant scale by the Crane Co. at Chicago, Ill. Production of ductile titanium metal increased from about 25 tons in 1949 to about 75 tons in 1950, 495 tons in 1951, and 1,075 tons in 1952. The principal raw materials required for production of ductile titanium metal by the Bureau of Mines process are titanium ore (rutile, titanium slag, or ilmenite), magnesium, chlorine, electric energy, inert gas (helium or argon), and fuel. Major requirements per pound of titanium sponge are 3.5 to 4.0 pounds of ilmenite (or rutile or titanium slag of equivalent titanium content), 5 pounds of chlorine, 1.25 pounds of magnesium, and about 9 kilowatt-hours of electric energy. If the magnesium and chlorine are regenerated, the requirement for magnesium is about 0.2 pound and for chlorine about 1 pound. The energy required for an integrated plant ranges from about 15 kilowatt-hours to 20 kilowatt-hours per pound of titanium sponge, depending on whether fuel or electric power is used for reduction and distillation. Plant costs for producing ductile titanium metal, under the present technology and small-scale commercial production, are very high. A commercial plant to produce 1 ton of metal per day costs 1.5 to 2 million dollars. A plant to produce 10 tons of metal per day costs about $15 million. This figure is based on the amount loaned by the Government for constructing a 10-ton-per-day plant by each of the 2 present producers. After the Bureau of Mines demonstrated that ductile titanium could be produced on a pilot-plant scale, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. started the world's first small-scale commercial production of titanium at Newport, Del., in 1948 on a small unit. In 1949 the National Lead Co. also constructed a pilot plant at Sayreville, N. J. Both companies expanded their pilot-plant units through successive stages. By 1952 production by Du Pont reached 21⁄2 tons per day. The first Government expansion program was initiated in 1951. This program, which recommended construction and operation of two 10-ton-per-day plants with an aggregate rated capacity of 7,200 tons per year, was endorsed by Defense Minerals Administration, later succeeded by Defense Materials Procurement Agency, and accepted by Defense Production Administration. It served as the basis for the first expansion of titanium production and resulted in the construction and initial operation of a 10-ton-per-day plant by Titanium Metals Co. (subsidiary of National Lead Co. and the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp.) at Henderson, Nev., and planned expansion by Du Pont to increase its production at Newport, Del., from 21⁄2 to 10 tons per day. In November 1952 the Defense Production Administration set the goal for production of commercial titanium sponge at 22,000 short tons by the end of 1955. In August 1953 this goal was increased to an annual output of 25,000 tons in 1956. The new production will come from present producers and new organizations, such as the Cramet Co., of Chicago, Ill., one of the leading plumbing and valve manufacturers, who contracted with the Government to produce 30,000 tons over a period of 5 years. In August 1951 a temporary revolving stockpile was established to maintain capacity operation of titanium-sponge-manufacturing facilities during the present development of military applications. Sponge production, although in excess of that needed for experimental work, was insufficient to permit its expanded large-scale use in military items. To assure an increased supply of titanium and the utilization in the manner most advantageous to the national defense, the DPA, upon the recommendation of DMA, authorized GSA to establish and maintain a revolving fund of $5 million for purchase and resale of not more than 1 million pounds of titanium sponge at a price not to exceed $5 per pound. At the end of 1952 the revolving-fund stockpile contained about 300 tons of titanium. Due to increased demand this inventory was depleted by June 1953. The revolving-fund stockpile was set up to provide a temporary reserve of titanium sponge available for resale and is in no way connected with the national stockpile. Due to the present and anticipated future insufficiency of titanium for defense the DMPA, upon recommendation of the Muntions Board, entered into an agreement in April 1953 with the Bureau of Mines for production of titanium sponge at the Bureau of Mines pilot plant at Boulder City, Nev. The Bureau will endeavor to produce a minimum of 360,000 pounds of usable ductile titanium at a rate of 1,000 to 1,400 pounds per day. The Bureau's production will supplement and not compete with private industry. Titanium-sponge metal (commercially pure) is quoted at $5 per pound. Milled shapes sell from $6 to about $20 per pound. Prices are expected to decrease with expanded production and through improvement of existing processes or development of new processes. The Tariff Act of 1930 set the rate on titanium metal at 25 percent ad valorem; this rate was decreased to 20 percent in 1951. Other countries have reported interest in titanium. England is producing titanium on a small pilot-plant basis; numerous Japanese companies are engaged in titanium research. Small-scale pilot-plant production has been reported in Japan, and one of the Japanese companies has shipped small trial lots to United States consumers. DOMESTIC RESERVES Titanium ores are found extensively through the United States, Canada, India, Australia, Norway, Ceylon, Brazil, Sweden, and the U. S. S. R. Large ilmenite deposits occur in Virginia and North Carolina. Extensive deposits of titaniferous iron ores occur in New York, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Wyoming, California, and New Mexico. Other occurrences of iron ores rich in titanium have been reported in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, Colorado, Montana, and Oklahoma. Rutile and ilmenite, with other minerals, are found in beach sands at many places along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts and also in stream sands; they have been worked mainly in Florida, Idaho, and to some extent in Oregon. Rutile deposits also occur in Virginia and Arkansas. The Magnet Cove rutile deposit, Hot Spring County, Ark., was explored by the Bureau of Mines; this work revealed an extension of the ore body from the previously mined area. Laboratory tests at the Bureau of Mines Experiment Station, Rolla, Mo., indicated that an ilmenite concentrate (about 20 percent TiO2) and iron-ore concentrate could be recovered from the red mud or residue of the Hurricane Creek alumina plant operated by the Reynolds Metals Co. WESTERN HEMISPHERE RESERVES Both Mexico and Brazil have extensive deposits of titanium-bearing material, which have not been completely measured to date owing to lack of demand and development. Some ilmenite concentrates are produced in Brazil in connection with monazite-mining operations but have not been shipped since 1948. Europe WORLD RESERVES Norway appears to have the largest reserves of ilmenite in Europe and is producing from the Sokudal mine in southern Norway, which has a measured reserve of 30 million metric tons of 17 percent TiO2. Other large deposits of titaniferous iron ores are not in production. Sweden has large, low-grade deposits, about 6 percent TiO2, which were worked in 1939 to 1945 for export to Germany but are now idle. Finland, Czechoslovakia, and Italy have large deposits of undeveloped and unmeasured titanium-bearing ores. Both Spain and Portugal have deposits of titanium-bearing beach sands, which are being used for very minor production. Both rutile and ilmenite are being produced in Africa in minor quantities. Significant reserves appear to exist, particularly for ilmenite. Asia Japan is producing small quantities of titanium metal from the titanium slags left from smelting of the iron sands found in the country. Tariff Duty-free. The Tariff Act of 1930 placed titanium ores on the free list. RUTILE The principal commercial ores of titanium are ilmenite (FeO.TiO2); arizonite (Fe2O3. 3TiO2), referred to by industry as ilmenite; and rutile (TiO,). Ilmenite ores, used mainly in the production of titanium dioxide pigments, are found extensively throughout the United States. Rutile ores, on the other hand, are present in only a few domestic areas. The major use for rutile to date has been for welding-rod coatings. Of the total consumption of 18,317 short tons in 1952, 62 percent went into welding-rod coatings, 16 percent was used for alloys and carbide, 2 percent for ceramics, and 20 percent for miscellaneous uses, such as fiberglass and titanium metal. Although rutile is used in the production of titanium metal, it is not available in sufficient quantities to support an expanding titanium-metal industry. Any major expansion of titanium-metal production must be premised on the use of ilmenite or high-titania slag. Ilmenite, manufactured titanium dioxide, and Tanarc are substituted for rutile in the production of some welding-rod coatings. Tanarc (containing 70 percent TiO2) is made from titanium slag imported from Canada. Manufacturers claim that the use of these substitutes is limited and that desired characteristics for most welding rods are obtained only with rutile. Domestic production of rutile now comes from beach-sand operations at Melbourne and Jacksonville, Fla. Rutile was produced from the Magnet Cove rock deposit in Hot Spring County, Ark., until 1944, and from another rock deposit near Roseland, Va., until 1949. About two-thirds of the present domestic supply comes from Australia, the major rutile-producing country and the only country shipping rutile to the United States from 1948 to 1952. Rutile imports from Australia were 19,550 tons in 1952, establishing a new record over that previously set in 1943. Proved reserves of high-grade Australian rutile deposits total over 800,000 short tons. World production of rutile in 1952 is estimated at 52,000 short tons; 84 percent was supplied by Australia and 15 percent by the United States. The remaining 1 percent was produced by Brazil, French Cameroon, India, Norway, and Senegal. After World War II the price of rutile dropped, owing largely to decreased demand. Under the General Ceiling Price Regulation of January 26, 1951, the price of rutile was frozen. The increased world demand for Australian rutile raised the price to such an extent that United States concerns could not negotiate for rutile at these market prices with the ceiling price frozen at a much lower level. Accordingly, amendment 13 to General Overriding Regulation 13 was issued on January 18, 1952, by Office of Price Stabilization. This amendment exempted from price control all sales of imported and domestic rutile ores and concentrates and the allied services of mining and processing such materials. The removal of rutile from price control permitted domestic consumers and dealers to compete with other countries in obtaining this material and allowed domestic producers to continue production by meeting the higher prices requested by the operating companies. Rutile was in short supply at the end of 1951 and the first part of 1952. In addition to removal of the price ceiling, other actions were taken to remedy this situation. The National Producton Authority announced inventory controls on rutile under NPA Regulation 1, as amended, January 28, 1952, and the Defense Minerals Exploration Administration, under DMEA Order 1, issued March 7, 1952, placed rutile and brookite in the classification of strategic and critical materials and set forth provisions under which the Government would contribute up to 75 percent of the total exploration costs for these materials. By the end of 1952 supply and requirements about balanced. Rutile was removed from the inventory control list September 9, 1952, and DMEA removed rutile and brookite from its strategic and critical list on May 16, 1953. Rutile is the only titanium mineral or product included in the National Stockpile Current List of Strategic and Critical Materials. Rutile falls under list II, 39888-53-pt. 1-22 |