MANUFACTURE OF TITANIUM CHLORIDE, SYNTHETIC RUTILE AND METALLIC IRON FROM TITANIFEROUS MATERIALS CONTAINING IRON

摘要

Substantially pure titanium dioxide is made under reducing conditions by a halogen-oxygen interchange between a titanium tetrahalide and an oxide of iron contained in a slag, or an ore such as ilmenite, at a temperature, approximately 1000 DEG C. The iron and some impurities such as phosphorus, sulfur, vanadium, and chromium are volatilized as halides or oxyhalides. Solid titanium dioxide remains with some impurities which may be washed out with water or an aqueous acid or alkali. The gaseous ferrous halide is then reacted with some or all of the titanium dioxide and a reductant at a temperature above about 1550 DEG C so as to be reduced to molten metallic iron and to give the gaseous titanium halide which is passed to the first reactor. Only makeup halogen is required.