PROCESS PROCESS INSTRUMENTS
Application Note
Continuous Monitoring of Vanadium Oxytrichloride
Impurities during the Manufacture of TiO2
Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) is an Vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3) is The total time measurement
intermediate in the production of a common impurity that is difficult and calculations is less than
titanium dioxide (TiO2) as well as to remove. Because the quality of 4 seconds. The multivariate
titanium metals and alloys. TiO2 the TiCl4 produced directly affects calibration accounts for specific
is a white pigment used primarily the quality of the TiO 2 pigment interferences caused by the
in the paint, plastic and paper and titanium metal, it is important sample stream. The IPS-4 is
industries for its superior ability to to monitor TiCl4 purity. capable of monitoring specific
completely mask a substrate Finally, the TiCl4 is oxidized to wavelengths and performing
produce pure TiO2 multi-component analysis. For
Measurement Requirement this application, measurements
TiCl 4 purity is monitored in TiCl4 + O2 TiO2 (pure) + 2Cl2 are taken between 365 and 450
the manufacture of TiO2. The nm to avoid inherent interferences
presence of vanadium, in the The AMETEK IPS-4 Diode of the process.
form of vanadium oxytrichloride, Array Spectrophotometer, a full
The IPS-4’s unique flow
VOCl 3 in TiCl 4 is an impurity spectrum analyzer, is well suited
cell design separates the
that affects the quality of the for this measurement. After
process sample from the
TiO2. The AMETEK IPS-4 Diode collecting the spectrum the
spectrophotometer, simplifying
Array Spectrophotometer can be on-board computer performs
installation and eliminating any
used to monitor VOCl3 in TiCl4 a full spectrum analysis in the
possibility of sample damage
production, with typical ranges determination of VOCl3 in TiCl4.
to the electronics.
either in 0-20 ppmW or 0-40
ppmW VoCl3 in TiCl4.
Process Overview
TiO2 is primarily manufactured
using the chloride process,
during which rutile (mostly TiO2) is
converted to TiCl4 by reacting the
ore with Cl2 gas around 900°C.
[TiO2]ore + 2Cl2 +C TiCl4 (v) + CO2
Next, other trace metal chlorides
are removed using fractional
AMETEK’s IPS-4 Diode Array Spectrophometer
distillation to refine the TiCl 4.
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