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: Removal of iron from aluminous material such as bauxite is effected by treatment with a gas mixture comprising sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide in a first step, followed by chlorination in a second step whereby ferric chloride is produced and removed by volatilization. Aluminium chloride of low iron content may be obtained from the purified aluminous material by chlorination.

Abstract: A process for obtaining chlorine and iron oxide from iron chloride by adding iron oxide to iron chloride prepared by chlorinating iron-containing titanium ore, in an amount of above 10 percent by weight of the resulting mixture, charging the mixture in solid phase into a fluidizing roasting furnace for oxidizing roasting, extracting the overflow from the fluidized bed in the furnace, and charging the extract into another secondary furnace for additional oxidizing roasting. The iron oxide thus obtained is cooled and recycled to the fluidized bed in the primary fluidizing roasting furnace for the purpose of controlling the reaction temperature in the furnace.

Abstract: A process for the direct production of steel from particulate iron oxides or concentrates including two major steps in which in Step (1) the iron oxides are converted to iron carbide and in Step (2) steel is produced directly from the carbide in the basic oxygen furnace or the electric furnace. In the production of the carbide the oxides are reduced and carburized in a single operation using a mixture of hydrogen as a reducing agent and carbon bearing substances such as propane primarily as carburizing agents. Iron carbide thus produced is introduced as all or part of the charge into a basic oxygen furnace to produce steel directly without the blast furnace step. In order to make the steel making process auto-thermal, heat is supplied either by using the hot iron carbide from Step (1) or preheating the iron carbide or by including sufficient fuel in the iron carbide to supply the required heat by combustion.

Abstract: Artificial rutile of high TiO.sub.2 grade is produced by chlorine treatment of titaniferous ore such as ilmenite which comprises a combination of (1) a pretreatment step in which the ore is oxidized by roasting at a temperature below the sintering temperature thereof thereby to activate the ore, (2) a chloridization step in which the pretreated ore is subjected to a chlorine treatment in a fluidized bed chloridization furnace thereby to chloridize and remove selectively iron oxides within the ore without the formation of TiCl.sub.4, and (3) an aftertreatment step which comprises subjecting the ore to magnetic separation with a magnetic field of at least 20,000 gauses and further treatments thereafter, as necessary, such as a wet table treatment and electrostatic separation at from 5,000 to 30,000 volts.