Process for treating ilmenite-containing materials to produce metallic iron concentrates and titanium dioxide concentrates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING AN ILMENITE-CONTAINING MATERIAL TO PRODUCE A TITANIUM OXIDE CONCENTRATE AND A METALLIC IRON CONCENTRATE WHICH COMPRISES; ADMIXING SAID ILMENITE-CONTAINING MATERIAL WITH A SODIUM COMPOUND WHICH UPON HEATING IN A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE WILL FORM SODIUM OXIDE, AGGREGATING THE ADMIXTURE TO FORM SUBSTANTIALLY SPHEROIDAL PELLETS, THE DIAMETER OF SAID PELLETS BEING IN THE RANGE OF FROM 5 TO 10 MM., HEATING SAID PELLETS IN THE PRESENCE OF A FINELY DIVIDED CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 1150* TO 1200*C. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE IRON VALUES IN SAID PELLETS TO METALLIC IRON IN THE FORM OF FINE BEADS, COMMINUTING THE REDUCED PELLETS TO FORM A FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL HAVTHE REDUCED PELLETS TO FORM A FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE OF THE ORDER OF AOUT 325 MESH, AND THEN SEPARATING THE FINELY DIVIDED MATERIAL INTO A TITANIUM OXIDE CONCENTRATE AND A METALLIC IRON CONCENTRATE.