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Abstract

A method for producing titanium dioxide from an iron-containing titanium ore concentrate includes heating the ore concentrate in the presence of a reducing agent to provide a sintered reaction product including a titanium salt of the alkali metal and metallic iron. The titanium salt of the alkali metal is decomposed by addition of water to provide titanium dioxide. For ilmenite (FeTiO.sub.3), preferred alkali metal salts include carbonates, and formates of sodium and potassium. The titanium metal salt so formed is sodium or potassium meta titanate (K.sub.2 TiO.sub.3 or Na.sub.2 TiO.sub.3) depending on the alkali metal used. Suitable reducing agents include hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, or solid carbon. Metallic iron may be magnetically separated from ground reaction product or from a slurry formed by addition of water to the reaction product, the slurry including the titanium dioxide.

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First Claim