Method for the production of titanium

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING TITANIUM FROM TITANIUMBEARING MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: MAKING AN ACIDIC TITANIUM SOLUTION FROM SUCH TITANIUM-BEARING MATERIAL, SUCH ACIDIC SOLUTION BEING MADE FROM ACIDS IN THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFURIC AND MIXTURES OF SULFURIC AND HYDROCHLORIC ACIDS; SATURATING SUCH SOLUTION WITH GASEOUS HYDROGEN CHLORIDE; ADDING TO SUCH ACIDIC TITANIUM SOLUTION AN ALKALI METAL CHLORIDE WHEREBY AN ALKALI METAL CHLOROTITANATE PRECIPITATES THEREIN; DISSOLVING AND RECRYSTALLIZING SAID ALKALI METAL CHLOROTITANTE; MECHANICALLY DRYING SAID ALKALI METAL CHLOROTITANTATE WHEREBY A PORTION OF ITS WATER CONTENT IS REMOVED; COMPLETING THE DRYING OF SAID ALKALI METAL CHLOROTITANTE BY SUBJECTING IT TO DRY HYDROGEN CHLORIDE GAS WHILE MAINTAINING SAID ALKALI METAL CHLOROTITANATE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 20* TO 30/*C., REDUCING SAID SUBSTANTIALLY DRY ALKALI METAL CHLOROTITANATE WITH AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL REDUCING AGENT IN AN INERT GAS ATMOSPHERE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 250*C. TO THAT AT WHICH SAID REDUCING AGENT REMAINS IN THE SOLID STATE TO PRODUCE TITANIUM AND OTHER REACTION END PRODUCTS, AND SEPARATING THE TITANIUM FROM SUCH REACTION PRODUCTS.