Titanium tetrachloride is an important compound in the chemical industry. It has a wide range of uses and multiple key functions.
The first is in the preparation of titanium metal. Titanium tetrachloride is the core raw material for the preparation of titanium metal. Titanium tetrachloride can be converted into metal titanium by reduction methods, such as magnesium thermal reduction or sodium thermal reduction. In this process, titanium tetrachloride reacts with reducing agents under high temperature conditions to produce high-purity metal titanium. Metal titanium is indispensable in many key fields such as aerospace, navigation, and medical treatment because of its excellent properties such as high strength, low density, and excellent corrosion resistance. For example, in the manufacture of aero-engines, titanium alloy components greatly enhance the efficiency and reliability of engines due to their good performance.
Furthermore, in the field of catalysts, titanium tetrachloride also plays a key role. It is often used as one of the important components of Ziegler-Natta catalysts, which are widely used in olefin polymerization reactions. By using titanium tetrachloride to participate in the formation of catalysts, olefin monomers can be efficiently catalyzed to polymerize, resulting in various types of high-performance polyolefin materials, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. These polyolefin materials are widely used in plastics, fiber manufacturing and other industrial fields, providing many essential materials for people's daily life and industrial production.
In addition, titanium tetrachloride is also used in the ceramic and glass industries. In ceramic production, the appropriate amount of titanium tetrachloride can improve the properties of ceramics, such as improving their hardness, wear resistance and gloss. In the glass manufacturing process, titanium tetrachloride can be used as a clarifying agent to help remove bubbles in the glass liquid, thereby improving the transparency and quality of the glass, making the produced glass products more beautiful and practical.
In the field of surface treatment, titanium tetrachloride can also play a role. It can be used for the treatment of metal surfaces. By chemically reacting on the metal surface to form a dense oxide film or other compound film, it can enhance the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of the metal and prolong the service life of metal products. In summary, titanium tetrachloride has important uses in many industrial fields and plays a crucial role in promoting the development of modern industry.

Tetraethyl lead is a metal-organic compound with unique physical and chemical properties.
Tetraethyl lead is a colorless oily liquid at room temperature, highly volatile, and has a sweet odor. This property makes it easy to diffuse in the air in a certain environment, increasing the risk of exposure. Its density is higher than that of water, and it is insoluble in water, but it can be miscible with most organic solvents, such as ethanol, ether, benzene, etc. This solubility makes it widely distributed in organic systems.
In terms of stability, tetraethyl lead is relatively stable at room temperature and pressure, but it is very easy to burn and explode in case of open flame and hot topic. Because of its chemical structure, lead is connected to ethyl group. Under high temperature or strong oxidation conditions, the chemical bond is easily broken, which triggers violent chemical reactions. In addition, tetraethyl lead will decompose when heated to produce toxic lead and ethyl radicals and other products, which are extremely harmful to the environment and the human body.
The toxicity of tetraethyl lead cannot be ignored. It is a highly toxic substance and is mainly absorbed through the respiratory tract and skin. After entering the human body, it will cause serious damage to the nervous system, blood system, etc. It can cause neurasthenia syndrome and mental disorders to the nervous system; in the blood system, it will interfere with heme synthesis and cause symptoms such as anemia.
Due to its physical and chemical properties, tetraethyl lead was used as an antiknock agent in gasoline in the past to increase the octane number of gasoline. However, due to its huge harm to the environment and human health, it has now been gradually banned. Due to its volatilization into the atmosphere, it will pollute soil and water through sedimentation and other processes, enter the ecosystem cycle, and cause damage to biodiversity.

Titanium tetrachloride is an important chemical raw material and has many applications in the field of organic synthesis.
First, titanium tetrachloride is often used as a catalyst in the polymerization of olefins. For example, the famous Ziegler-Natta catalyst system, titanium tetrachloride combined with alkyl aluminum, can efficiently catalyze the polymerization of olefins, and prepare polyolefin materials with specific structures and properties. This reaction can make ethylene, propylene and other monomers orderly polymerization, resulting in high-density polyethylene, isotactic polypropylene and other high-performance polymers, which are widely used in plastics, fibers and other industries.
Second, titanium tetrachloride also plays a key role in the reaction involving organic titanium reagents. The reaction of Grignard's reagent with titanium tetrachloride can form an organotitanium reagent, which can participate in many organic synthesis reactions, such as carbon-carbon bond formation reactions. It can undergo an addition reaction with carbonyl compounds such as aldides and ketones to form new carbon-carbon bonds, and then synthesize various alcohols. This reaction has good selectivity and reactivity, providing an effective method for organic synthesis chemists to build carbon skeletons.
Furthermore, in some special organic synthesis pathways, titanium tetrachloride can be used to adjust the activity and selectivity of the reaction. For example, in the nucleophilic substitution reaction of some halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, adding an appropriate amount of titanium tetrachloride can change the reaction rate and product distribution, so that the reaction proceeds in the expected direction, helping to synthesize the target organic compound.
Titanium tetrachloride, with its unique chemical properties, is like a magical "magic weapon" in the field of organic synthesis, playing an indispensable role in the preparation of various organic compounds and the development of organic synthesis chemistry.

The preparation method of titanium tetrachloride is made of rutile (mainly containing titanium dioxide) or ilmenite (mainly containing ferrous titanate) as raw materials through multiple processes.
If rutile is used as raw material, the method is as follows: first mix rutile with coke and put it into a chlorination furnace. Chlorine gas is introduced into the furnace, and under high temperature conditions, a chemical reaction occurs. Titanium dioxide in rutile interacts with chlorine gas and coke to form titanium tetrachloride and carbon monoxide. The chemical reaction formula is: $TiO_ {2} + 2C + 2Cl_ {2}\ stackrel {high temperature }{=\!=\!=} TiCl_ {4} + 2CO $. The resulting titanium tetrachloride is gaseous and collected by condensation. However, the obtained titanium tetrachloride contains many impurities and needs to be further purified. The purification method often uses distillation and other means to separate pure titanium tetrachloride by means of the difference in the boiling point of different substances.
If ilmenite is used as raw material, the steps are slightly more complicated. First react ilmenite with sulfuric acid to form titanium oxide sulfate and ferrous sulfate. The reaction formula is: $FeTiO_ {3} + 2H_ {2} SO_ {4} = TiOSO_ {4} + FeSO_ {4} + 2H_ {2} O $. Subsequent steps such as hydrolysis convert titanium oxide sulfate into metatitanic acid precipitation. Then metatitanic acid is calcined to obtain titanium dioxide. This titanium dioxide is then reacted with coke and chlorine at high temperature to obtain titanium tetrachloride as a follow-up step using rutile as a raw material, and then purified to obtain pure titanium tetrachloride.

Titanium tetrachloride is a highly corrosive chemical. When using it, many things need to be paid attention to.
First, the protection must be comprehensive. The user should wear protective clothing, which must be corrosion-resistant and can effectively block titanium tetrachloride from coming into contact with the body. And protective gloves should be worn, and the material should also be resistant to titanium tetrachloride corrosion to avoid the skin of the hands from being eroded by it. Protective glasses or masks are also indispensable to prevent titanium tetrachloride liquid or volatile aerosol from splashing into the eyes and causing eye damage.
Second, the operating environment should be well ventilated. Titanium tetrachloride is easily hydrolyzed. When exposed to water vapor in the air, hydrogen chloride gas is produced. This gas is highly irritating. If used in poorly ventilated areas, hydrogen chloride gas will accumulate, which is easy to irritate the respiratory tract and endanger the user's health. Therefore, the operation should be carried out in a fume hood, so that the harmful gas generated can be discharged in time.
Third, the method of use should be appropriate. Because of its violent reaction in contact with water, the use process should avoid contact with water vapor. Be careful when opening the container to prevent liquid from splashing out. And the access tool should also be dry and not contain moisture to prevent violent reactions.
Fourth, storage conditions should be suitable. Titanium tetrachloride should be stored in a dry, cool and ventilated place, away from fire and heat sources. Do not mix with flammable, combustible and alkali substances to prevent dangerous reactions. The storage container must be well sealed to prevent it from deteriorating in contact with water vapor in the air.
Fifth, emergency response should be known. If you accidentally come into contact with titanium tetrachloride and the skin is contaminated, you should immediately rinse with a large amount of flowing water, and then seek medical treatment; if your eyes splash in, quickly rinse with a large amount of water or normal saline, and you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible; if you inhale hydrogen chloride gas, you should quickly move to a fresh place of air, keep the respiratory tract unobstructed, and if necessary, perform artificial respiration and send to the hospital. The operation site should also be equipped with corresponding first aid medicines and equipment to respond to emergencies in a timely manner.