5.2.1. Cambridge FFC Method

For several decades, it was considered difficult to synthesize titanium with a low amount of oxygen. However, in 2000, a new method was introduced [80], which showed that it is possible to reduce TiO2, completely in the solid-state, to the metal in molten calcium chloride, which is a cheap and non-toxic product. This technique is known as the Cambridge FFC process (Figure 8). It operates in a molten saline environment, typically in the scope of 800 ◦C to 1100 ◦C. CaCl<sup>2</sup> is used as a salt since CaCl<sup>2</sup> can dissolve and transport oxygen ions. The TiO<sup>2</sup> reduction during the FFC process has been reached by the ionization of oxygen from the titanium-containing cathode, which diffuses to the anode and is discharged [46].

**Figure 8.** A schematic illustration of the CTF's Cambridge process [81] (Reprinted with permission from Taylor & Francis, Copyright, (2015)).
