ecoinvent 3.9.

1 Dataset Documentation
'titanium production - GLO - titanium'

Note: This document contains only an extract of the information in the dataset. Additional data about
properties of exchanges, mathematical relations, parameters, and contact information for authors and
reviewers are available within the dataset, i.e. in ecoSpold format.

Link to the dataset on ecoquery website

Table of Contents
Dataset Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Dataset Authorship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Exchange Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Dataset Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Detailed Information For Exchanges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Reference product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Inputs from technosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Selected Impact Assessment Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Direct impact contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
IPCC 2021, climate change, global warming potential (GWP100) . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Ecological Scarcity 2021, total, UBP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
EF v3.1, material resources: metals/minerals, abiotic depletion potential (ADP): elements
(ultimate reserves) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Restriction of Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

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Dataset Identification
Activity name titanium production
Geography Global
Time period 2004-01-01 to 2022-12-31 - Valid for the entire period
ISIC rev.4 ecoinvent 2420: Manufacture of basic precious and other non-ferrous metals
Reference product titanium
CPC classification 41601: Tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, magnesium, cobalt, cadmium,
titanium, zirconium, beryllium, gallium, hafnium, […]
Dataset type Ordinary transforming activity
Technology level Current
Version - system model 3.9.1 - Allocation, cut-off

Dataset Authorship
Data generator Marylène Dussault, CIRAIG, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal
Data entry Marylène Dussault, CIRAIG, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal
Review Gregor Wernet, ecoinvent Centre
Review Gregor Wernet, ecoinvent Centre
Review Tereza Levova, ecoinvent Centre

Exchange Summary
Byproduct
Reference product classification Amount
allocatable
titanium product 1 kg

Inputs from technosphere Amount

electricity, high voltage 1 kWh

titanium sponge 1 kg

Dataset Description
General comment
This dataset represents the production of 1 kg of titanium. Primary titanium metal is produced mainly by
the Kroll process, which produces purified titanium sponge. The titanium sponge can then be refined
using vacuum arc remelting. This dataset models the vacuum arc remelting step. The previous steps are
modelled in the titanium tetrachloride production dataset and the titanium sponge production dataset.
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Included activities start
This activity starts with the supply of titanium sponge, produced using the Kroll process.

Included activities end

This activity ends with the production of titanium metal. This dataset includes the process of remelting
titanium sponge by vacuum arc remelting in an electric furnace. Only the energy consumption is
included. Missing data include solid waste and air emissions during remelting and fabrication of ingot
using vacuum electric arc furnace.

Sampling procedure
The eletricity consumption for the vacuum arc remelting (1 stage) is taken from Table 1 in Norgate et al.
(2004).

Extrapolations
None.

Technology comment
Primary titanium metal is produced mainly by Kroll process. In this batch process, titanium tetrachloride
(TiCl4) is reduced with magnesium under inert atmosphere creating a sponge like titanium metal solid
which is refined by vaccum arc remelting. The Kroll process is characterized by multiple steps for which
many are energy and labor intensive. Main steps include batch reduction, processing, vaccum
distillation and remelting. Main batch reduction takes place in a steel reactor filled with argon where the
magnesium is melt at temperature between 850°C-950°C. The titanium chloride (TiCl4) is fed, or blown
in as vapor, into the reactor. The reduction is a highly exothermic reaction, thus little energy input is
required for it to take place. Reaction is as follow: TiCl4(l or g) + 2 Mg(l) = Ti(s) + 2 MgCl2(l). During the
processing the reaction by-product, molten magnesium chloride (MgCl2), is remove from the reator
periodically during the reaction. The magnesium and clhoride from this by-product are recovered using
electrolysis and re-used. Main product from the process is a sponge like titanium (Ti(0)). Vaccum
distillation is then use to purified the crude sponge removing residual metal chlorides and magnesium.
This process takes place at temperature between 900°C and 1000°C. The residuals are recovered by
condensation. The purified titanium sponge is refined using vacuum arc remelting.

Time period comment

Time period chosen based on year of publication of LCI data

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Detailed Information For Exchanges
Reference product

Reference product Annual prod.vol. Amount

titanium 9.25e+7 kg 1 kg
Production volume: 9.25e+7 kg
Production volume comment: Literature value. Based on reported world titanium consumption of titanium sponge in 2006
(Hogan, 2008) to which titanium triple-melt production (assumed to be equal to world consumption from the aerospace and
military) was substracted. Titanium production from other sectors is assumed equivalent to standard titanium production.
Inputs from technosphere

Inputs from technosphere Amount

electricity, high voltage 1 kWh
Activity Link: market group for electricity, high voltage - GLO
Comment: Literature value. Based on reported electricity requirements for 1 stage vaccum arc remelting of titanium by
Norgate (2004).
2004, Norgate, T. E., Rajakumar, V. ; Trang, S., Titanium and Other Light Metals - Technology Pathways to Sustainable
Development, AUSTRALASIAN INST. OF MINING AND METALLU, 2, 105-112
Uncertainty distribution: lognormal; GSD2: 1.22; Pedigree matrix: [1, 1, 5, 1, 1]

titanium sponge 1 kg
Activity Link: market for titanium sponge - GLO
Comment: The titanium sponge is assumed to be produced at the same location as where it is used for producing the titanium
metal.
Uncertainty distribution: lognormal; GSD2: 1.58; Pedigree matrix: [5, 5, 5, 5, 5]

Selected Impact Assessment Results

Method Category Indicator Score
global warming potential
IPCC 2021 climate change (GWP100) 48.3 kg CO2-Eq

Ecological Scarcity 2021 total UBP 9.07e+4 UBP

abiotic depletion potential

material resources: (ADP): elements (ultimate
EF v3.1 metals/minerals reserves) 0.000226 kg Sb-Eq

Direct impact contributions

IPCC 2021, climate change, global warming potential (GWP100)

IPCC 2021, climate change, global warming potential (GWP100): 48.3 kg CO2-Eq

Impact (kg
Exchange Amount CO2-Eq) Impact %
titanium sponge
market for titanium sponge - GLO 1 kg 47.6 98.56%

electricity, high voltage

market group for electricity, high voltage - GLO 1 kWh 0.697 1.44%

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Ecological Scarcity 2021, total, UBP

Ecological Scarcity 2021, total, UBP: 9.07e+4 UBP

Exchange Amount Impact (UBP) Impact %

titanium sponge
market for titanium sponge - GLO 1 kg 8.96e+4 98.72%

electricity, high voltage

market group for electricity, high voltage - GLO 1 kWh 1.16e+3 1.28%
EF v3.1, material resources: metals/minerals, abiotic depletion potential (ADP): elements (ultimate reserves)

EF v3.1, material resources: metals/minerals, abiotic depletion potential (ADP): elements

(ultimate reserves): 0.000226 kg Sb-Eq

Impact (kg
Exchange Amount Sb-Eq) Impact %
titanium sponge
market for titanium sponge - GLO 1 kg 0.000226 99.89%

electricity, high voltage

market group for electricity, high voltage - GLO 1 kWh 2.47e-07 0.11%

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Source
First author Norgate, T. E.
Additional author(s) Rajakumar, V. ; Trang, S.
Titanium and Other Light Metals - Technology Pathways to Sustainable
Title Development
Year 2004
Journal AUSTRALASIAN INST. OF MINING AND METALLU
Volume number 2
Issue number

First author Hogan, L.

Additional author(s) McGinn, E.; Kendall, R.
research and development in titanium: implications for a titanium metal industry
Title in australia
Year 2008

Restriction of Use
The restrictions of use stipulated in the EULA remain applicable for this pdf documentation.
Copyright ecoinvent Association, 2022