Method for preparing chlorination feed material

Claim 1

A SINGLE STAGE PROCESS FOR PREPARING A CHLORINATION FEED MATERIAL BY DIRECTLY CONVERTING THE TITANIUM VALUES IN A TITANIFEROUS IRON MATERIAL TO A SUBSTANTIALLY IRON-FREE TITANIUM OXIDE MATERIAL IN THE PRESENCE OF A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT WHICH COMPRISES: ADMIXING A TITANIFEROUS IRON MATERIAL, A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT AND SULFURIC ACID TO FORM A SLURRY; HEATING SAID SLURRY IN A PRESSURE VESSEL WHILE MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID VESSEL IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 100 P. S. I. TO ABOUT 2000 P. S. I. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO SOLUBILIZE THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND IRON CONSTITUENTS OF SAID TITANIFEROUS MATERIAL AND PRECIPITATE THE TITANIUM VALUES IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT IN THE FORM OF A COALESCED SUBSTANTIALLY IRON-FREE RELATIVELY INSOLUBLE, HYDRATED TITANIUM OXIDE-CARBON MATERIAL; SAID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 20% BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE IN THE TITANIFEROUS IRON MATERIAL; SAID SULFURIC ACID BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SOLUBILIZE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND IRON CONSTITUENTS IN THE SOLUBILIZED CONSTITUENTS AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING SAID SOLUBILIZED CONSTITUENTS AND GANGE FROM SAID INSOLUBLE HYDRATED TITANIUM OXIDE-CARBON MATERIAL.