Nippon Steel, Toho Titanium Develop World First Ti DC Slab

Nippon Steel and Toho Titanium announced on Tuesday they developed world first mass production technology of direct casting titanium slab, DC Slab by Toho Titanium’s electron beam melting. The new technology reduces lead time of titanium sheet by around 20% and inventory in process and realizes higher yield.

Nippon Steel has made slab at Nagoya works with ingot from vacuum arc remelting by Toho Titanium to roll titanium products at Hirohata plant. With the new technology, Nippon Steel improves the competitiveness to serve ship, chemical and other applications.

Toho Titanium started ingot making through EB melting at Yahata plant in 2006. The firm added large EB furnace for 5 billion yen in 2008 to improve the slab making process for better quality required from Nippon Steel. Toho Titanium now can provide 1,000 tonnes of DC Slab to Nippon Steel both in first and second half of fiscal 2011 started April. Nippon Steel uses around 50% of DC Slab for the sheet making.

Toho Titanium plans to make 11,000 tonnes of titanium ingot in fiscal 2011 compared with 7,800 tonnes in fiscal 2010. The firm expects EB melting can reduce energy consumption by using more titanium scrap.