Titanium sponge plant in Kollam scheduled to be operational by July 2011
Monday, 22 November 2010
The Rs. 170 crore titanium sponge plant being set up in Kollam is expected to be operational by July 2011 with a capacity of 500 tonnes per year.
Titanium sponge technology, developed by DRDL, is being transferred to Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), situated near Kollam, Kerala, with funding from Indian Space Research Organisation, to set up the commercial sponge plant. The technology developed at DMRL bridges a critical gap - the conversion of titanium tetrachloride to titanium sponge in the ore-to-product processing of titanium.
KMML will supply the raw material - titanium dioxide - for production of titanium sponge. The mining and beneficiation of the ore, its conversion to titanium tetrachloride, and eventually pigment-grade titanium dioxide, has already been commercialised by KMML.
Defence Minister, Shri AK Antony visited the Titanium Sponge Pilot Plant at the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) in August this year along with Dr J Narayana Das, CC R&D (NS, M & HR), DRDO. During his visit, the minister witnessed the tapping of red-hot liquid magnesium chloride, the by-product of the Kroll's process, for the conversion of titanium tetrachloride to titanium sponge.
The 3-tonne batch capacity Titanium Sponge Pilot Plant at DMRL is the first of its kind in the country to produce premium quality titanium metal by magnesio-thermic reduction of titanium tetrachloride.
Antony also saw some of the critical titanium alloy products developed at DMRL, in association with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL).
India has large deposits of rich titanium ore (third largest in the world) distributed mostly along the coast of southern peninsula. The setting up of this Titanium sponge plant will make India the fifth producer, having the technology for industrial-scale production of titanium in the world.
A Mineral Research Institute with state-of-the-art laboratories, is expected to come up soon at the KMML campus so that value-addition activities can be carried out.
MACHINIST - Titanium sponge plant in Kollam scheduled to be operational by July 2011
Monday, 22 November 2010
The Rs. 170 crore titanium sponge plant being set up in Kollam is expected to be operational by July 2011 with a capacity of 500 tonnes per year.
Titanium sponge technology, developed by DRDL, is being transferred to Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), situated near Kollam, Kerala, with funding from Indian Space Research Organisation, to set up the commercial sponge plant. The technology developed at DMRL bridges a critical gap - the conversion of titanium tetrachloride to titanium sponge in the ore-to-product processing of titanium.
KMML will supply the raw material - titanium dioxide - for production of titanium sponge. The mining and beneficiation of the ore, its conversion to titanium tetrachloride, and eventually pigment-grade titanium dioxide, has already been commercialised by KMML.
Defence Minister, Shri AK Antony visited the Titanium Sponge Pilot Plant at the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) in August this year along with Dr J Narayana Das, CC R&D (NS, M & HR), DRDO. During his visit, the minister witnessed the tapping of red-hot liquid magnesium chloride, the by-product of the Kroll's process, for the conversion of titanium tetrachloride to titanium sponge.
The 3-tonne batch capacity Titanium Sponge Pilot Plant at DMRL is the first of its kind in the country to produce premium quality titanium metal by magnesio-thermic reduction of titanium tetrachloride.
Antony also saw some of the critical titanium alloy products developed at DMRL, in association with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL).

India has large deposits of rich titanium ore (third largest in the world) distributed mostly along the coast of southern peninsula. The setting up of this Titanium sponge plant will make India the fifth producer, having the technology for industrial-scale production of titanium in the world.

A Mineral Research Institute with state-of-the-art laboratories, is expected to come up soon at the KMML campus so that value-addition activities can be carried out.
MACHINIST - Titanium sponge plant in Kollam scheduled to be operational by July 2011