Titanium History

Scientists discovered the element titanium in 1789, however, until 1908, Norway and the United States began to use sulfuric acid method of production of titanium dioxide, 1910 in the laboratory for the first time in the sodium method of titanium sponge, 1948, the United States of America DuPont only with magnesium method of tonnage of titanium sponge production - this marks the beginning of the sponge of titanium sponge that is titanium industrialized production.
China's titanium industry started in the 1950s. 1954 Beijing Nonferrous Metals Research Institute began to titanium sponge preparation process research, in 1956 the state of titanium as a strategic metal included in the 12-year development plan, in 1958 in Fushun Aluminum Plant to achieve the titanium sponge industrial test, the establishment of China's first titanium sponge production workshop, and at the same time, in the Shenyang Nonferrous Metals Processing Plant set up China's first titanium sponge production pilot plant. At the same time, China's first titanium sponge production workshop was set up in Shenyang Nonferrous Metal Processing Plant.
In the 1960s and 1970s, under the unified planning of the state, more than 10 titanium sponge production units represented by Zunyi Titanium Factory were built, and several titanium processing units represented by Baoji Nonferrous Metals Processing Factory were built, and scientific research power represented by Beijing Nonferrous Metals Research Institute was also formed, becoming the fourth country with a complete titanium industrial system after the United States, the former Soviet Union and Japan. The company has become the fourth country with a complete titanium industry system after the United States, the Soviet Union and Japan.

Around 1980, China's titanium sponge production reached 2,800 tons, however, due to the lack of understanding of titanium by most people at that time, the high price of titanium also limits the application of titanium, titanium processing material production of only about 200 tons, China's titanium industry is in trouble. With the policy support of the state, the inter-ministerial National Titanium Application Promotion Leading Group was set up in July 1982, specializing in coordinating the development of the titanium industry, which contributed to a good situation of rapid and stable development of the titanium industry in the 1980s and the early 1990s, when the production and sales of titanium sponge and titanium processed materials in China were both booming.

To summarize, China's titanium industry has gone through three development periods: the pioneering period in the 1950s, the construction period in the 1960s and 1970s, and the initial development period in the 1980s and 1990s. In the new century, thanks to the sustained and rapid development of the national economy, China's titanium industry has also entered a period of rapid growth.
After years of development, China's titanium industry has indeed made remarkable achievements, but compared with the United States, Japan, Russia, China's titanium industry is still a laggard, especially since the intensification of the financial crisis, highlighting China's titanium industry deficiencies and shortcomings. 2014 in the world economy continues to be in a weak growth pattern, the global titanium industry continues to be downturn in the context of China's titanium industry is difficult to be alone, and has entered into the "High capacity, micro-profit, low demand" winter period.
Under the guidance of the national policy of stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, changing the mode of growth, and scientific and technological innovation and development, harmonious development with the environment, and the promotion of healthy and sustainable development of the industry has become the main theme of economic development. The slowdown in investment, capacity expansion, declining demand and structural surplus of titanium products have led to the price of titanium products has been hovering at a low level. Most of the titanium smelting enterprises are in the loss or profit and loss flat state, titanium processing enterprises are in the micro-profit operation state, 2014 is the titanium industry's tough year.
After the rapid development since the new century, China's annual production capacity of titanium sponge has reached 150,000 tons, the production capacity of titanium ingots has reached 124,000 tons . While the domestic market demand has slowed down, the actual production in 2014 was 67,825 tons and 57,039 tons, respectively, with an insufficient start-up rate, and most of the enterprises are in the production of low-end products positioning, product convergence, fierce competition, and low efficiency.
On the other hand, in the aviation, medical and other high-end product development and production, we can not meet the domestic development needs, aviation titanium alloy materials and medical titanium alloy materials and other high-end titanium products still need to be imported. Therefore, China's titanium industry is in structural surplus.
Titanium industry restructuring and overcapacity problems need to be national, local and enterprise to discuss the solution.
Independent innovation ability is not strong
For a long time, we have developed and identified a lot of new titanium alloys, but not many independent original, the vast majority of which are tracking imitation of similar foreign products, and not enough basic and systematic research on new titanium alloys, which impedes the application of new titanium alloys.
Titanium alloy composition and organization consistency, batch stability is not enough
At present, China's titanium industry has ranked first in the world in terms of technology and equipment, and has produced a large number of high-quality titanium alloy materials to meet the needs of national economic development. But for large aircraft and aircraft engines and other high-end titanium alloy material reliability, batch stability is poor, resulting in engine blades and fan disk and other key components creep deformation, engine performance degradation, can not meet the high-end demand for materials for large aircraft and medical implants.