Preparation of low-oxygen Ti–Al alloy by sustainable recovery of spent SCR catalyst

The wide spread application of NH3-selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) process has led to the accumulation of large amounts of spent SCR catalyst. In this study, Al reduction–electromagnetic directional crystallization was used to recycle Ti, W, and V from spent SCR catalyst to prepare W- and V- containing TiAl alloys. The effects of the slag composition, reaction time, and amount of reductant added on the recovery ratios were investigated. The maximum recovery ratios of 94.16 %, 81.85 %, and 98.14 % for Ti, W, and V, respectively, were achieved at a reaction time of 60 min, addition of 45 wt% Al, and CaO / Al2O3 ratio of 2 / 3. Furthermore, directional crystallization was performed on Ti–Al alloy under different atmospheres (99.99 % Ar or 90 % Ar + 10 % H2 gas) to investigate their effects on deoxygenation. 90 % Ar + 10 % H2 gas could effectively remove O from the Ti–Al alloys. Si and P impurities were enriched at the bottom of the alloy and Fe impurities at the top. The Ca and Mg impurities contents are approximately 50 and 10 ppmw, respectively, and S was removed difficultly. The total impurities content of the resulting W- and V- containing TiAl alloys were less than 1.85 %. The entire process is low-carbon and environmentally friendly.