Method for producing titanium concentrates

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DIGESTIBLE TITANIUM CONCENTRATE WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A MIXTURE COMPRISING A TITANIFEROUS IRON ORE WHICH CONTAINS FROM 8% TO 65% TI02, SAID MIXTURE ALSO COMPRISING A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT, AN OXIDIC COMPOUND OF SILICON, AN OXIDIC COMPOUND OF ALUMINUM, AND A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF OXIDIC COMPOUND OF SODIUM, OXIDIC COMPOUND OF POTASSIUM AND MIXTURES THEREOF, HEATING SAID MIXTURE TO FROM A SLAG AND MOLTEN IRON AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 1300*C. AND 1700*C. UNTIL THE FEO CONTENT OF SAID SLAG IS REDUCED TO BETWEEN 2% AND 20%, THE AMOUNT OF OXIDIC COMPOUNDS OF SILICON, ALUMINUM AND SODIUM PLUS POTASSIUM PRESENT IN SAID MIXTURE BEING SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A SLAG IN WHICH THE SUM OF THE SIO2, AL2O3, AND NA2O+0.66 K20 IS FROM 0.75 TO 2.2 PARTS FOR EACH PART OF TI02, AND IN WHICH THE SI02 IS FROM 40% TO 55%. THE AL203 IS FROM 20% TO 35% AND THE NA20+0.66 K2O ID FROM 20% TO 30% OF THE TOTAL SI02+AL203+NA20+0.66 K20 PERCENT IN THE SLAG, LEACHING SAID SLAG WITH DILUTE SULPHURIC ACID TO REMOVE THE SILICON, ALUMINUM AND SODIUM+POTASSIUM ACID-SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS, THE TITANIUM VALUES REMAINING IN INSOLUBLE FORM IN SAID SLAG DURING SAID LEACHING OPERATION AND SEPARATING THE LEACH LIQUOR FROM THE LEACHED TITANIUM SLAG.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DIGESTIBLE TITANIUM CONCENTRATE WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A MIXTURE COMPRISING A TITANIFEROUS IRON ORE WHICH CONTAINS FROM 8% TO 65% TI02, SAID MIXTURE ALSO COMPRISING A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT, AN OXIDIC COMPOUND OF SILICON, AN OXIDIC COMPOUND OF ALUMINUM, AND A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF OXIDIC COMPOUND OF SODIUM, OXIDIC COMPOUND OF POTASSIUM AND MIXTURES THEREOF, HEATING SAID MIXTURE TO FROM A SLAG AND MOLTEN IRON AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 1300*C. AND 1700*C. UNTIL THE FEO CONTENT OF SAID SLAG IS REDUCED TO BETWEEN 2% AND 20%, THE AMOUNT OF OXIDIC COMPOUNDS OF SILICON, ALUMINUM AND SODIUM PLUS POTASSIUM PRESENT IN SAID MIXTURE BEING SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A SLAG IN WHICH THE SUM OF THE SIO2, AL2O3, AND NA2O+0.66 K20 IS FROM 0.75 TO 2.2 PARTS FOR EACH PART OF TI02, AND IN WHICH THE SI02 IS FROM 40% TO 55%. THE AL203 IS FROM 20% TO 35% AND THE NA20+0.66 K2O ID FROM 20% TO 30% OF THE TOTAL SI02+AL203+NA20+0.66 K20 PERCENT IN THE SLAG, LEACHING SAID SLAG WITH DILUTE SULPHURIC ACID TO REMOVE THE SILICON, ALUMINUM AND SODIUM+POTASSIUM ACID-SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS, THE TITANIUM VALUES REMAINING IN INSOLUBLE FORM IN SAID SLAG DURING SAID LEACHING OPERATION AND SEPARATING THE LEACH LIQUOR FROM THE LEACHED TITANIUM SLAG.