Process for the production of titanium tetrachloride

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE COMPRISING AN AGITATED BED CONUM OXIDE BEARING SLAG FREE OF SOLID CARBON AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF NON-CHLORIDIZABLE SOLIDS, SAID SLAG CONTAINING 1 TO 10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF THE OXIDES OF ALKALINE EARTH METALS INCLUDING MAGNEISUM, SAID SLAG CONTAINING ALKALINE EARTH METAL OXIDES THAT FORM MOLTEN CHLORIDES TENDING TO CLOG THE BED AT CHLORINATION TEMPERATURES, MAINTAINING SAID BED IN CONTINUOUS AGITATION BY AN UPWARDLY FLOWIGN GAS STREAM CONTAINING CHLORINE AND CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE AS THE ONLY EDUCING CONSTITUENT, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING TO SAID BED A FINELY DIVIDED TITANIUM OXIDE BEARING SLAG AS AFORESAID, MAINTAINING SAID BED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 1000*C. BUT NOT EXCEEDING 1300*CS. AND SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CHLORINATION OF SAID SLAG THROUGH THE REACTION OF CHLORINE AND CARBON MONOXIDE THEREWITH AT A RATE EQUIVALENT TO THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID SLAG TO SAID BED, THEREBY FORMING VAPORIZED CHLORIDES INCLUDING TITANIUM CHLORIDE VAPOR AND INCLUDING THE CHLORIDE OF THE ALKALINE-EARTH MEALS AND CARBON DIOXIDE, REMOVING FROM THE UPPER PART OF SAID BED GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCTS CONTAINING SAID VAPORIZED CHLORIDES, CONTINUOUSLY ENTRAINING AND REMOVING WITH SAID REACTION PRODUCTS ANY MATERIAL OF SAID BED THAT IS NOT COMPLETELY CHLORINATED AND VOLATILIZED THEREIN, WHEREBY SAID ALKALINE EARTH METAL OXIDES IN SAID SLAG ARE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CHLORINATED AND VOLATILIZED AS CHLORIDES AND ALL THE CHORINATION PRODUCTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REMOVED TOGETHER TO PREVENT CLOGGING OF THE BED, AND CONDENSING THE VAPORIZED CHLORIDES.