Recovery of Ti and Zr metals from spent leaching solutions by a precipitation-reduction pathway.

• Ba 2 ZrF 8 and BaTiF 6 fluorides are precipitated from the spent liquors using BaF 2. • The heating of Ba 2 ZrF 8 (BaTiF 6) + Mg + k Cu mixtures yield a self-ignition at 600 °C. • CuTi and CuZr alloy ingots and BaMgF 4 slag are produced after the heating process. • The chemistry of liquor purification and CuTi (CuZr) ingots formation is highlighted. In this paper, we describe a progressive two-step process that allows titanium and zirconium fluorides (TiF 4 , ZrF 4) contained in spent liquors of etched Ti and Zr alloys to be effectively recycled into CuTi and CuZr alloy compositions and a regenerated pickling acid of high purity. In the first step, spent pickling liquor is treated with a BaF 2 suspension to produce water-insoluble BaTiF 6 and Ba 2 ZrF 8 fluoride salts. In the second step, the as-precipitated BaTiF 6 and Ba 2 ZrF 8 fluoride salts are mixed with Mg and Cu metals powder and heat-treated at 1300 °C to produce CuTi and CuZr alloy ingots. The microstructures of the ingots are discussed in regard to Cu concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]