Accoding to Chinese national standard: sponge titanium is packed according to the net weight of 70kg ~ 250kg per barrel (piece), the packing barrel is galvanized iron barrel lined with polyvinyl chloride film bag, sealed with open cover, the junction of the barrel cover and the barrel body should be able to identify whether the package is intact. It’s usually 200 kilograms a barrel now for titanium sponge manufacturer. After packaging, the barrel is pumped out and filled with argon and should be stored in a dry warehouse, not piled up in the open air or mixed with acid, alkali and other corrosive items. The sponge titanium should be handled with care during transportation to prevent dampness and damage of seal.
Titanium sponge oxidizes easily. Its large exposed area can absorb a lot of oxygen, the oxidized sponge titanium is impossible to remove oxygen elements in the casting of titanium ingots unlike steel making and only be discarded.
Long-term storage of titanium sponge is costly and dangerous. It’s said that sponge titanium can be stored for three years with argon gas filled in PVC film bags, but it was denied by titanium processing plant. Generally speaking, the longest period of one year is appropriate. Besides, the storage of sponge titanium must require regular rotation, generally one-year rotation, so that the storage cost of sponge titanium will be very high.
Spongy titanium Storage is dangerous. The titanium sponge allows 5% powder, so that in the processing and treatment of titanium sponge if dust clouds produced, it is easy to cause combustion when met open fire or electrostatic fire.
In conclusion, sponge titanium is not suitable for long-term storage. The porous “sponge titanium” cannot be used directly and must be melted into liquid in an electric furnace before it can be cast into ingots. Titanium ingots are in a dense state, which is a necessary process in the titanium production and is convenient for loading, unloading and handling. Therefore, in terms of the advantages like the low cost of maintenance, fire and shock resistant, recyclable, economy and convenience, it is quite appropriate to store titanium ingots.
Sponge titanium production is the basis of titanium industry and titanium sponge is an intermediate product in its purest form and material for titanium alloy. It is mainly used to produce titanium ingot, which in turn is used to make slab, billet, pipe, bar, plate, sheet, and other titanium mill products such as titanium alloys, billets, ingots etc.
