Miller

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR PRODUCING RUTILE TYPE, PURE TITANIUM DIOXIDE FROM A TITANIUM CONTAINING RAW MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID RAW MATERIAL WITH A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT AND CHLORINE AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TO FORM TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE, RECOVERING SAID TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE, PURIFYING THE TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE SO THAT IT IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM DELETERIOUS WIMPURITIES, RE ACTING THE PURIFIED TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE WITH NITRIC ACID AND WATER TO FORM RUTILE TYPE HYDRATED TITANIUM DIOXIDE AND A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF CHLORINE AND NITROSYL CHLORIDE, SEPARATING THE GASEOUS MIXTURE FROM THE TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CONTACTING THE SEPARATED GASEOUS MIXTURE WITH AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF MANGANESE DIOXIDE TO CONVERT THE NITROSYL CHLORIDE TO A SOLUTION OF MANGANOUS NITRATE AND MANGANOUS CHLORIDE THEREBY SEPARATING THE CHLORINE FROM THE NITROSYL CHLORIDE, RECYCLING THE SEPARATED CHLORINE TO THE TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE FORMATION STEP OF THE PROCESS, REACTING THE MANGANOUS CHLORIDE FORMED FROM THE MANGANESE DIOXIDE WITH NITRIC ACID AND MANGANESE DIOXIDE TO FORM ADDITIONAL GASEOUS CHLORINE AND ADDITIONAL MANGANOUS NITRATE, SEPARATING THE GASEOUS CHLORINE FROM THE MANGANOUS NITRATE, THERMALLY REACTING THE SEPARATED MANGANEOUS NITRATE WITH AIR AND WATER TO FORM MANGANESE DIOXIDE AND NITRIC ACID SEPARATING THE MANGANESE DIOXIED FROM THE NITRIC ACID AND RECYCLING THE SEPARATED MANGANESE DIOXIDE TO THE SLURRY CONTACTING STEP AND THE NITRIC ACID TO THE TITANIUM DIOXIDE FORMATION STEP.