Abstract: The beneficiation or upgrading of an iron-containing titaniferous ore to a synthetic rutile by subjecting the ore to reduction followed by acid leaching of the reduced ore is improved by forming a mixture of the ore and an aqueous sulfuric acid solution, adding a reducing agent to this mixture and then subjecting this mixture containing the reducing agent to reduction at elevated temperatures. The resulting reduced ore, which is characterized by an increase in the ferrous iron content thereof and an increase in its specific surface area, exhibits an enhanced response to subsequent acid leaching to provide a synthetic rutile of improved purity.

Abstract: The present invention provides for boron-containing wood preserving solutions and a method for their preparation. The wood preserving solutions of the invention are noncrystallizable at ambient temperatures and are prepared from a dispersion of a particulated sodium tetraborate, phosphoric acid and water by heating the dispersion at elevated temperatures and for a period of time sufficient to provide a clear solution. The particulated sodium tetraborate and phosphoric are present in the dispersion in a specific molar ratio of 5:3, said ratio being critical to achieving the noncrystallizable characteristic of the wood preserving solutions of the invention.