Process for producing iron oxide and titanium tetrachloride from titaniferous iron ores

Claim 1

CYCLICAL PROCESS FOR PRODUCING TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE AND IRON OXIDE FROM A TITANIFEROUS IRON-CONTAINING RAW MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES ADDING SUBDIVIDED RAW MATERIAL AND CARBON TO A CHAMBER, INTRODUCING CHLORINE AND MOIST AIR INTO SAID CHAMBER TO PRODUCE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES VOLATILE FERRIC CHLORIDE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE AND A TITANIUM CONCENTRATE, SAID CHLORINE ADDED IN AMOUNT EQUAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE THEORETICAL AMOUNT TO REACT WITH THE IRON VALUES BUT NOT THE TITANIUM VALUES, SAID MOIST AIR CONTAINING AT LEAST 0.0004 LB. OF WATER PER CUBIC FOOT OF AIR USED, SEPARATING SAID TITANIUM CONCENTRATE FROM SAID VOLATILIZED FERRIC CHLORIDE AND REACTING SUBSTANTIALLY IMMEDIATELY, THE SEPARATED VOLATILIZED FERRIC CHLORIDE WITH OXYGEN TO PRODUCE FERRIC OXIDE AND CHLORINE GAS, SEPARATING SAID FERRIC OXIDE FROM THE CHLORINE SO PRODUCED AND RETURNING THE CHLORINE SO PRODUCED TO REACT WITH THE TITANIUM VALUES IN THE TITANIUM CONCENTRATE TO PRODUCE TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE, AND COLLECTING SAID TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE.