Method for sulfating titaniferous materials

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR SULFATING TITANIFEROUS MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: INTRODUCING A SLURRY OF TITANIFEROUS MATERIAL AND CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID, AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW REACTION TEMPERATURE AND AS A RELATIVELY THIN STREAM, INTO THE ENTRANCE END OF A REACTION ZONE, RETAINING SAID SLURRY THEREIN FOR FROM 1 TO NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 3 SECONDS, MAINTAINING A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL OF 65*C.-115*C. BETWEEN THE ENTRANCE END AND OPPOSITE END RESPECTIVELY OF SAID REACTION ZONE TO HEAT AND INITIATE THE REACTION OF SAID THIN STREAM OF SLURRY AND THE FORMATION OF TITANIUM SULFATE AND HOT REACTION VAPORS IN SAID REACTION ZONE, UTILIZING SAID HOT REACTION VAPORS TO MAINTAIN SAID MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTTIAL IN SAID REACTION ZONE BY EXHAUSTING SAID HOT REACTION VAPORS THROUGH SAID THIN STREAM OF SLURRY IN THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID REACTION ZONE, AND RECOVERING A POROUS TITANIUM SULFATE DIGEST CAKE FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID REACTION ZONE.