How could direct electrowinning simplify titanium production?

Direct electrowinning could simplify titanium production by bypassing the multi-step reduction methods currently used in the industry, such as the Kroll process or the Hunter process.1

In standard industrial production, titanium tetrachloride ($TiC{l}_4$) is reduced using sodium or magnesium in sealed vessels, creating a porous "sponge" that requires additional, energy-intensive steps to separate the metal from entrapped salts.1

In contrast, direct electrowinning involves extracting titanium directly from $TiC{l}_4$ within fused chloride salt baths. In this streamlined approach, the titanium sponge collects on a steel cathode while chlorine gas is released at a carbon anode. While this method offers a potentially more efficient path for producing titanium, it has not yet achieved widespread commercial status due to significant technical and economic challenges, including the requirement for high-melting-point salts and the necessity of maintaining a strictly inert environment.1