Titanium Sponge Plant

Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd. engaged KITCO as their Engineering Consultant for their 500 tons per annum Titanium sponge project at Chavara, Kollam.  The process was based on the technical knowhow developed by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a unit of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with funding from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dept. of Space.  By implementing the Titanium Sponge Plant at KMML, India became the seventh country in the world to produce Titanium metal.  The scope of work included the following:

• Preparation of Detailed Project Report
• Technology transfer for scale up from pilot plant Titanium sponge unit at DMRL, Hyderabad to commercial scale production unit at KMML, Chavara.  The technology is based on Kroll process involving magnesium reduction of Titanium tetrachloride at high temperature and vacuum separation of the reduced mass to obtain Titanium sponge, free from entrapped Magnesium/Magnesium chloride.
• Detailed Engineering including preparation of designs and drawings and project management consultancy for the following works:

o   All works related to civil, mechanical, electrical, process control & instrumentation.  The plant buildings were designed with folded roof structure.  The processes were carried out under inert atmosphere using Argon.

o   Exhaust ventilation and dehumidification system

o   Material handing units like 30T/10T and smaller capacity EOT cranes

o   Utilities like process water, cooling water, power, compressed air, diesel, etc. 

o   Centralised PLC based control system.

o   Fire hydrant and fire alarm systems

o   Analytical, testing and workshop equipment

o   Water treatment plant and effluent treatment plant