Titanium tetrachloride

Titanium tetrachloride is a colorless, volatile liquid with formula TiCl₄. It is a major intermediate in titanium-metal production and titanium dioxide manufacture, and a reagent in chemical synthesis.

Kroll process: An industrial process that reduces titanium tetrachloride with magnesium to produce titanium metal. This is the principal route by which TiCl₄ becomes titanium sponge.
Polyolefin: A polymer made from an olefin monomer, such as ethylene or propylene. TiCl₄ is a component of catalysts used to manufacture major polyolefins.
Titanium: A transition metal with atomic number 22, valued for its strength, low density, and corrosion resistance. TiCl₄ is the key volatile intermediate used to obtain metallic titanium from ores.
Titanium trichloride: A titanium(III) chloride compound, commonly encountered as a violet or brown solid. Unlike volatile TiCl₄, TiCl₃ is a lower-valent solid used in some polymerization catalysts.
Hydrogen chloride: A colorless, corrosive gas that forms hydrochloric acid when dissolved in water. Hydrolysis of TiCl₄ releases this corrosive gas, creating a major exposure hazard.
Hydrolysis: A chemical reaction in which a substance is cleaved by reaction with water. Moisture rapidly hydrolyzes TiCl₄, releasing hydrogen chloride and forming hydrated titanium oxides.
Ziegler–Natta catalyst: A catalyst system used to polymerize alkenes into stereoregular polyolefins. TiCl₄ commonly supplies the titanium sites in supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts.
Chlorine: A halogen element with atomic number 17 that forms chloride compounds with many elements. Four chlorine atoms bond to titanium in the molecule and leave as chloride during reduction.
Titanium(II) chloride: A lower-valent chloride of titanium with formula TiCl₂. Its titanium oxidation state and solid-state chemistry differ from those of TiCl₄.
Corrosive substance: A material that chemically damages living tissue or other substances on contact. TiCl₄ reacts with moisture to form acidic products that attack tissue and equipment.

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Silicon tetrachlorideCompared with: Its similar volatility and hydrolysis contrast with SiCl₄'s silicon-focused uses.