Production of titanium tetrachloride

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF PRODUCING TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE FROM TITANIUM ORES ORIGINALLY CONTAINING OXIDES OF TITANIUM IRON, AND ALKALINE EARTH METALS, BUT WHICH HAVE BEEN SMELTED IN THE PRESENCE OF CARBON TO REMOVE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE IRON WHILE LEAVING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION THEREOF IN THE RESIDUE AS METAL AND CONVERT THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE TITANIUM IN THE RESIDUE TO TITANATES, COM PRISING CONTACTING SUCH RESIDUE WITH A CHLORINATING GAS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 775 TO 1100*C. TO CONVERT THE REMAINING IRON TO FERROUS CHLORIDE AND VOLATILIZE THE SAME, REMOVING THE FERROUS CHLORIDE VAPOR TO LEAVE A SUBSTANTIALLY IRON-FREE RESIDUE, CONTACTING SAID RESIDUE WITH CHLORINE GAS AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 800 TO 1100*C. TO CONVERT THE TITANIUM IN THE RESIDUE TO TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE VAPOR, AND REMOVING AND CONDENSING THE TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE VAPOR.