Abstract: Cyclical batch processes for halogenation, such as chlorination, of minerals in a fixed bed using a plurality of cycles which include the steps of at least partially evacuating the bed, charging the bed with reactant gas, maintaining the reactant gas in the bed for a predetermined time, and exhausting reaction products under vacuum. Also disclosed is the chlorination of spodumene in its beta crystalline form produced by calcining spodumene in its naturally-occurring alpha crystalline form to preferentially extract lithium as lithium chloride.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of precious metal values as essentially pure gold from gold alloys in the form of thin strips 0.05 to 0.25 inch thick having a gold content of up to 80% gold comprising chlorinating the strips at a temperature of 300 to 700 degrees Centigrade to form a metallic gold/metal chloride mixture and removing the metal chlorides from the gold in the mixture using an aqueous wash. When silver is part of the alloying metal, essentially pure silver is recovered by first washing the metallic gold/metal chloride mixture with hydrochloric acid and then with ammonium hydroxide and recovering the silver from the ammonium hydroxide.

Abstract: The problem of transferring a highly hygroscopic, subliming solid, aluminum chloride, from a condensation zone at the end of a chlorination process to a reduction cell is solved by condensing the aluminum chloride values not as a solid, but as a low melting point liquid complex with depleted reduction cell salt melt. The complex may be transferred to the reduction cell either as a liquid or it may be solidified for storage, subsequently rendered particulate and delivered to the reduction cell as a solid.

Abstract: An improved method of beneficiating ilmenite using two chlorinators in order to oxidize by-product iron chlorides to chlorine in the vapor phase and eliminate the necessity of separating the chlorine from combustion gas by cryogenic methods comprising using a first stage which produces beneficiated ore, and, inter alia, carbon dioxide, iron chlorides, predominantly ferrous chloride, which are condensed to gain the separation from CO.sub.2 ; solid iron chlorides are fed to an oxidation zone in the void above the second stage beneficiator and reacted with oxygen; heat required for vaporization of the condensed chlorides is supplied in part by beneficiation within the second stage. The fluidized bed overflow of the second stage beneficiator is magnetically separated to separate practically pure T.sub.1 O.sub.2, useful as a starting material for T.sub.1 O.sub.2 pigment and a recycle stream of magnetic partially beneficiated ore.

Abstract: In a process for purifying aluminum chloride made by the high temperature chlorination of an aluminum value containing material by distilling the aluminum chloride in a still, and separating the aluminum chloride the improvement comprising adding sufficient alkali chloride to the aluminum chloride as to provide an aluminum chloride/alkali chloride mixture having a conductivity sufficient to permit internal electrical resistance heating of the still when an electric current is applied across the still mixture.

Abstract: A method for producing alumina from a material containing alumina values via a chlorination step which process comprises the steps of:(A) dehydrating the material, if necessary, at a temperature of between about 500 and about 1300.degree. K.;(B) chlorinating the product of step (A) in the presence of chlorine and carbon at a temperature below about 1200.degree. K. and under conditions which provide chlorination of a majority of the iron present in the clay without substantial chlorination of titania values which may be present therein with concommittant formation of an iron chloride cloud above the surface of the chlorination reaction mixture;(C) introducing oxygen into the iron chloride cloud under conditions to cause oxidation of a majority of the iron chloride contained in the cloud;(D) chlorinating the non-gaseous product of step (B) in the presence of chlorine and carbon at a temperature above about 1300.degree. K.

Abstract: There is described a method for producing alumina from a material containing alumina values via a chlorination step which process comprises the steps of:(A) dehydrating the material, if necessary, at a temperature of between about 500 and about 1300.degree. K;(B) chlorinating the product of step (A) in the presence of chlorine and carbon at a temperature below about 1200.degree. K and under conditions which provide chlorination of a majority of the iron present in the clay without substantial chlorination of titania values which may be present therein with concommittant formation of an iron chloride cloud above the surface of the chlorination reaction mixture;(C) introducing oxygen into the iron chloride cloud under conditions to cause oxidation of a majority of the iron chloride contained in the cloud;(D) chlorinating the non-gaseous product of step (B) in the presence of chlorine and carbon at a temperature above about 1300.degree.

Abstract: A two stage process is described for chlorinating aluminum value containing materials such as bauxite, clay, fly ash, etc. The process comprises the steps of:(A) dehydrating the material, if necessary, at a temperature of between about 500.degree. and about 1300.degree. K.;(B) chlorinating the product of step (A) in the presence of chlorine and carbon at a temperature below about 1200.degree. K. and under conditions which provide chlorination of a majority of the iron present in the clay without substantial chlorination of titania values which may be present therein with concommittant formation of an iron chloride cloud above the surface of the chlorination reaction mixture;(C) introducing oxygen into the iron chloride cloud under conditions to cause oxidation of a majority of the iron chloride contained in the cloud; and(D) chlorinating the non-gaseous product of step (B) in the presence of chlorine and carbon at a temperature above about 1300.degree. K.

Abstract: A process for treating a particulated gold bearing ore to recover the gold therein is disclosed. The process includes roasting the ore to remove sulfides as sulfur dioxide followed by chlorination of the ore at a temperature of about 350.degree. C. in the presence of iron to form a mixture of volatile gold chlorides and volatile gold-iron chlorides in the chlorine off gases followed by condensing the gold compounds by passing the mixture through a salt such as sodium chloride to form a salt melt and separating the gold from the melt.

Abstract: A method for producing aluminum chloride suitable for direct introduction into an aluminum chloride reduction cell by treatment of the gas stream emerging from an aluminum value source chlorination process comprising the steps of:1. reducing and condensing iron chloride in one or more iron chloride condensation stages;2. absorbing the aluminum chloride contained in the gas stream under high temperature conditions with an alkali chloride or alkali chloride mixture to form an ionic alkali chloride-aluminum chloride complex; and3. selectively condensing the chlorides from the product by step (2) to produce a purified aluminum chloride-alkali chloride complex suitable for direct introduction into an aluminum chloride reduction cell.

Abstract: A method for purifying with respect to iron, aluminum chloride produced via the chlorination of aluminum bearing ores or materials which also contain iron. The process comprising the steps of:1. chlorinating the aluminum value containing material in a manner which produces a gaseous product containing both ferric chloride and aluminum chloride;2. oxidizing at least a portion of the ferric chloride to particulate iron oxide;3. removing the iron oxide from the gaseous product;4. reducing any remaining ferric chloride to ferrous chloride, using reduced iron oxide, e.g. iron powder;5. condensing the ferrous chloride along with at least about 10% of the available aluminum chloride to assure removal of substantially all iron chloride; and6. condensing the remaining about 80% of the available aluminum chloride as pure product.

Abstract: A method for the production of reduction cell grade alumina from alkali metal/aluminum chloride complexes comprising the steps of:A. reacting the alkali metal/aluminum chloride complexes with oxygen in a three phase fluidized bed comprising:(I) as a solid phase, particles or pebbles of alumina of at least about 1/16" in average diameter;(II) as a gaseous phase oxygen fed at a rate to provide a fluidizing gas velocity above about 8'/sec.; and(III) as a liquid phase coating the particles of alumina an alkali metal/aluminum chloride complexes; andB. separating the product solids from the gases exiting the fluidized bed.

Abstract: A process for beneficiating titaniferous ores to a product having a lower percentage content of silicates, and other inerts comprising, at temperatures of 900.degree.-1100.degree. C., passing chlorine through a bed comprising (a) a first fraction of particulate titaniferous ore having about 90% of large particles, (b) a second fraction having about 90% small particles and (c) carbon in an amount equal to 10-30%, by weight, of the total titaniferous ore present, and removing freed silicates and inerts and by-product iron chloride thereby consuming (b) with the titanium dioxide values present in (b) being substituted for iron oxide values present in (a). The beneficiated ore is useful as an intermediate for preparing titanium dioxide pigments.

Abstract: An improved process for beneficiating titaniferous ore to produce essentially iron-free titanium dioxide wherein a fluidized mixture of ore and a recycled iron-containing partially chlorinated product fraction is contacted with chlorine in a reactor maintained under reducing conditions, at temperatures of 700.degree. to 1150.degree. C. to convert iron oxide in the ore to iron chloride vapor which is removed from the reaction mixture. A quantity of the reaction bed which is partially chlorinated is removed from the reactor, cooled and separated into an essentially pure titanium dioxide fraction and a partially chlorinated iron-containing fraction. The iron-containing fraction is mixed with fresh ore and recycled to the reactor for further processing. The titanium dioxide product is useful as a starting material for the preparation of titanium dioxide pigment and is useful as a coating for a welding rod.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for removing hydrogen chloride, chlorine, chlorides, oxychlorides and metal chlorides from a beneficiate produced by contacting a titaniferous ore with chlorine at high temperatures preferably in the presence of carbon wherein the beneficiate mixed with carbon is contacted at temperatures of about 1000.degree. C. with steam, moist air or moist inert gas. The beneficiate which is essentially titanium dioxide is useful as a starting material for the manufacture of titanium dioxide pigments.

Abstract: In the process of beneficiating ilmenite ore by the chloride method the improvement wherein the beneficiate is cooled without oxidation hot finely divided particles comprising using the principle of film boiling to effect volatilization of a non-oxidizing liquid to both fluidize and cool the hot particles.