Abstract: A system for processing red mud comprising: a first heating section controlled to heat red mud to a first temperature; a second heating section controlled to heat the red mud to a second temperature lower than the first temperature; a crusher configured to grind the red mud to a predetermined particle size; and one or more separators for physically extracting at least iron and aluminum from the red mud.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the calcining and manufacturing of synthetic pozzolan with desirable color properties. Feed material is dried, crushed, and preheated in a drier crusher. The dry, crushed material is collected and fed to a calciner where it is heated to become a synthetic pozzolan. The synthetic pozzolan is then fed to a cooler where it is maintained for a least a portion of the cooling step in a reducing atmosphere.

Abstract: Nano-sized titanium nitride powder can be prepared by a simple process comprising subjecting mixed powder of titanium trichloride and lithium nitride to high-energy ball milling using a plurality of balls in an airtight reactor vessel under an inert gas atmosphere to form composite powder, and recovering the titanium nitride powder therefrom.

Abstract: The present invention seeks to improve beneficiation of a titanium oxide-containing composition (such as a low-grade or highly radioactive TiO2 ore) by combining a roasting and selective leaching steps.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel form of titanium oxide. The titanium oxide is characterized in that it has the crystallographic structure of rutile with an orthorhombic lattice and a Pnmm space group, it has a platelet morphology, the platelets being of rectangular shape with a length between 3 and 10 nm, a width between 3 and 10 nm and a thickness of less than 1 nm and it has a specific surface area, determined by nitrogen adsorption/desorption, of 100 to 200 m2/g. Applications: self-cleaning glazing, photovoltaic cells.

Abstract: A process for the enrichment of anatase mechanical concentrates, in order to obtain synthetic rutile with low contents of rare earth and radioactive elements, comprising the steps of: calcination of the anatase concentrate; reduction of the calcined product; dry or wet low-intensity magnetic separation of the reduced product; dry, high-intensity, high-gradient magnetic separation of the non-magnetic fraction from the low-intensity separation; leaching of the high-intensity magnetic fraction; oxidation of the dried product; leaching of the quenched product; filtering of the product from the second leaching; drying of the filtered product; and dry, high-intensity, high-gradient magnetic separation of the product of the second leaching.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for obtaining synthetic rutile with low contents of rare earth and radioactive elements from anatase mechanical concentrates, comprising the following sequential operations: calcination (1) of the anatase concentrate in a fluidized bed or rotary kiln, at a temperature between 400° C. and 600° C., during a period of time from 15 to 60 minutes, wherein hydrated iron oxides are converted into hematite after hydration water is removed, providing a reduction in the time required for next step; reduction (2) of the calcined product, in a fluidized bed or rotary kiln, at a temperature between 400° C. and 600° C.

Abstract: During processing of cyclone dust (4) resulting from the chlorination of titanium ore, a disposable filter cake (26) having a dry residue of greater than 40% (without inert portions serving as a supporting structure), regardless of whether ilmenite, slag or natural or artificial rutile or mixtures thereof were used as a raw material, is obtained when one or a combination of the following method steps is carried out: before increasing to a pH value ranging from 9 to 12 in a neutralization tank (13), a rapid neutralization step (12) is conducted whereby for all volume elements of the liquid, the same precipitation conditions can be maintained in a pH range of 6 to 9; a (preferably anionic) flocculation aid (22) is added before thickening, and; a (preferably cationic) second flocculation aid is mixed into the slurry after thickening. All measures improve the flocculation and render the processing more economical.

Abstract: A hydrometallurgical process is provided for producing pigment grade TiO2 from titaniferous mineral ores, and in particular from ilmenite ore. The ore is leached with a hydrochloric acid, preferably a recycled solution at high hydrochloric acid concentration, to form a leachate containing titanium and iron chloride and a residue. The leachate may be filtered to separate the leachate from the residue. The leachate is cooled to a temperature sufficient to form crystals of FeCl2, which are separated from the leachate. The leachate may be subjected to a reduction step to reduce Fe+3 to Fe+2, before crystallizing. The leachate is subjected to a first solvent extraction to form a pregnant strip solution containing titanium and ferric ions and a raffinate containing ferrous ions. This strip solution is subjected to a second solvent extraction to form a second strip solution containing ferric ions and a raffinate containing titanium ions.

Abstract: The specification discloses a process for removing radionuclides from zircon. The process involves thermally decomposing the zircon in the presence of suitable additives, extracting the radionuclides chemically and recovering zirconia and silica. Suitable additives include fluxes, silica and any oxide capable of forming a silicate with silica when heated. Chemical treatments disclosed include leaching with mineral acids and strong organic acids. Methods of stabilizing the radionuclides extracted by leaching are also disclosed. One method involves spray roasting. Another method involves neutralization of leach liquor and recovery of radionuclide solids by filtration or other suitable liquid/solid separation techniques.

Abstract: The specification describes a process for producing synthetic rutile from a titaniferous ore or concentrate. The process involves three basic steps which are reduction, removal or iron by leaching or aeration and removal of other impurities by leaching in a solution of a strong mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid or sulphuric acid. The conditions of reduction are controlled to promote the formation of metallic iron, a major rutile phase and a minor impurity bearing phase. The minor impurity phase may be a metatitanate, an anosovite or a pseudobrookite. However, formation of a metatinatate is normally preferred. Suitable reductants include carbonaceous materials or hydrogen bearing gases such as natural gas or synthesis gas. The process is capable of removing more than 80% of each of the contained iron magnesium and manganese remaining as oxides after reduction. Substantial proportions of contained aluminum can also be removed.

Abstract: Accordingly the present invention provides a process for producing acid soluble titania which process comprises the steps of:(i) adding a manganese or magnesium compound to a titaniferous mineral if the mineral does not contain sufficient manganese and magnesium to satisfy the following relationship: ##EQU1## where a represents the percentage by weight of MgO contained in the mineral,b represents the percentage by weight of MnO contained in the mineral, andd represents the percentage by weight of TiO.sub.

Abstract: A process for beneficiation of titaniferous ores is disclosed in which a titanium and iron-containing ore, such as ilmenite is heated with potassium hydroxide, e.g. at temperatures of about 350.degree.-650.degree. C. and then treating the product with carbon monoxide and water. After cooling and washing the solid product can be separated by magnetic means into an iron-containing magnetic fraction and a titanium-containing fraction.

Abstract: A feed material which is a mixture of chemically reduced lunar ilmenite and lunar agglutinates having a particle size in the range of 20-200 microns produced by hydrogen reduction in a fine particulate state is compacted into a shape and sintered to produce structural, radiation shielding construction blocks or bricks.

Abstract: Thermally split zirconium silicate is produced such that the crystalline zirconium dioxide embedded in an amorphous silica phase exhibits an average grain or particle size (d.sub.50 value) in a range of 0.5 .mu.m to 3.0 .mu.m and a specific surface area (BET) in a range of 3 to 15 m.sup.2 /g when the silica is removed by leaching. The zirconium dioxide produced by this method is particularly suited for the production of zirconium silicate pigments with improved color characteristics. The thermally split zirconium silicate is also particularly well suited for processes used in the obtention of zirconium dioxide. The method of producing the thermally split zirconium silicate includes melting zirconium silicate in an induction melting furnace and cooling off a free falling stream of melt by blowing on it with a gas and/or spraying it with water.

Abstract: An improved process for the preparation of TiCl.sub.4 comprising(a) chlorinating a raw material containing titanium and vanadium impurities to produce a crude TiCl.sub.4 reaction product,(b) separating the crude reaction product into solid by-products and TiCl.sub.4 -containing liquid,(c) reacting the TiCl.sub.4 -containing liquid with a reducing agent whereby vanadium impurities are converted into solid compounds, and(d) separating TiCl.sub.4 from the solid vanadium compounds, is improved by adding solid products of the vanadium reduction reactions to the crude TiCl.sub.4 reaction product prior to the separating step (b).

Abstract: The invention provides a reagent suitable for the dissolution of metallic gold and various methods for the application of the reagent including gold analysis, gold extraction, gold separation and the in-situ treatment of gold deposits.The reagent uses a protic solvent containing a preferably non-reducing cation source and a source of bromine optionally in combination with a strong oxidizing agent. The protic solvent is water or a lower alkyl alcohol or a mixture thereof. The cation source preferably highly dissociates in the protic solvent and suitable cation sources include dibasic ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulphate, potassium chromate, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. Cation sources which liberate ammonium cations are preferred.

Abstract: Titanium and iron values are recovered from ores, concentrates and slags by effecting solid-state reduction and carburization to form titanium carbide and carburized iron, separation of the carburized iron, and low temperature chlorination of the titanium carbide to gaseous substantially pure titanium tetrachloride, which may be oxidized to pigmentary titanium dioxide.

Abstract: At least a two stage chlorination system for the production of aluminum trichloride and aluminum monochloride wherein in the gas stream containing the highest percentages of aluminum chloride produced CO.sub.2 is present and the said gas stream is passed through a charcoal or devolatilized coke bed in a preferred temperature range of about 1000.degree. C. to 1600.degree. C. to convert the said CO.sub.2 to CO and cycling at least part of the said CO produced to at least the second chlorination stage.

Abstract: At least a single stage chlorination system for the production of a substantially iron-free alumina-silica product from Bauxites, Bauxitic Clays and Clays wherein at least one chlorination agent is selected from the group consisting of Cl.sub.2, COCl.sub.2, AlCl.sub.2, AlCl, SiCl.sub.4 and SiCl.sub.2 and wherein the said chlorination agent is a limited percentage of the total gas stream.

Abstract: At least a two-stage chlorination system for the production of a substantially iron-free alumina-silica product from Bauxites and Clays wherein in a preferred embodiment of the invention the chlorination agent is selected from the group consisting of Cl.sub.2, HCl and COCl.sub.2 in the first chlorination stage and wherein in the second chlorination stage the chlorination agent is selected from the group consisting of AlCl.sub.3 and SiCl.sub.4.

Abstract: At least a single stage chlorination system for the production of a substantially iron-free alumina-silica product from Bauxites, Bauxitic Clays and Clays wherein at least one chlorination agent is selected from the group consisting of Cl.sub.2, HCl and COCl.sub.2 and at least one chlorination agent from the group consisting of AlCl.sub.3 and SiCl.sub.4.

Abstract: A process for the treating of zircon to remove a coating which contains iron from the surface of individual grains to make them move amenable to electrostatic and magnetic separation, wherein the method comprises coating the zircon grains with a strong basic reagent, calcining the coated grains and treating the calcined grains to remove the calcined impurities.

Abstract: A process for the removal of iron and titanium minerals from aluminum bearing materials in at least one chlorination stage by the use of an excess of aluminum trichloride as at least the major chlorinating agent for the contained iron and titanium minerals, condensing the excess aluminum trichloride to recover the aluminum trichloride in an impure form, and recycling the impure aluminum trichloride to the chlorination stage together with additional aluminum trichloride or starvation amounts of chlorine, or alternately additional amounts of aluminum trichloride and starvation amounts of chlorine.

Abstract: A process for separating radioactive impurities from baddeleyite to obtain zirconium dioxide containing only traces of radioactive impurities, comprising grinding the baddeleyite preferably to a particle size of a maximum of 2% greater than 0.06 mm and then treating it directly with a 10 to 60% by weight aqueous alkali hydroxide solution at elevated temperatures below the boiling point of said solution at temperatures of 80.degree. to 140.degree. C. for 2 to 15 hours or until the desired degree of purity of the zirconium dioxide is obtained. In a preferred embodiment, sodium hydroxide is utilized and the ground baddeleyite preliminarily has been purified to the content of greater than 98% (zirconium dioxide+hafnium dioxide) by known methods.

Abstract: The titanium and zirconium-based minerals, present in the first stage centrifuge tailings from the hot water process for extraction of bitumen from bituminous sands, may be concentrated by a dry screening process. The tailings are burned off to provide a dry, essentially carbon-free, mineral mixture. By screening the mixture into three streams of different particle size range, silica and clays may be rejected as coarse and fine materials respectively, while titanium and zirconium minerals may be concentrated in the intermediate stream. The titanium and zirconium concentrate stream may be advanced to high tension and magnetic separation steps known in conventional processing of heavy minerals, for further beneficiation.

Abstract: The process basically consists of the removal of the impurities contained in titanium minerals, in which titanium is present in the form of oxides in complex association with other minerals which cannot be eliminated by the conventional hydro-metallurgical processes.The conditioning of the mineral by pyro-metallurgical treatment followed by magnetic separation, removes a part of the magnetic impurities at the same time that it exposes those impurities to the action of leaching acids and thus makes it possible for them to be removed easily. The alkaline treatment following the acid leaching permits elimination of the phosphorus contained as a harmful impurity, and makes it possible to secure a product within the specifications of the consumer market for use as a raw material mainly for the obtention of pigments and metallic titanium, which are the main forms in which titanium ores enter into consumption.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for separating rutile and ilmenite from ilmenite leach tails and is effected by treating the leach tails from an acidic leach to a flotation step whereby gangue is separated from the unreacted ilmenite and rutile. The latter is then roasted at an elevated temperature in a hydrous atmosphere to convert the ilmenite to a magnetic material. Thereafter the ilmenite may then be subjected to a magnetic separation whereby non-magnetic rutile may be recovered while the magnetic portion is recycled for further separation.

Abstract: An oily mass of solids tailings is derived from flotation of bitumen during hot water extraction of bituminous sands, and subsequent separation of most of the bitumen from associated solids. This oily mass contains a high concentration of heavy minerals, in the order of 10% by weight titanium and 4% zirconium. The tailings are introduced into a hot reaction zone and contacted with oxygen while agitating the solids. The bitumen associated with the solids is burned, as is residual coke left from the combustion of the bitumen. The product particles are discrete, dry and clean. They can be slurried with water and passed through gravity concentrating means, such as a spiral, to produce a concentrate containing in the order of 18% titanium and 8% zirconium.

Abstract: An oily mass of solids tailings is derived from flotation of bitumen during hot water extraction of bituminous sands, and subsequent separation of most of the bitumen from associated solids. This oily mass contains a high concentration of heavy minerals, in the order of 10% by weight titanium and 4% zirconium. The tailings are introduced into a hot reaction zone and contacted with oxygen while agitating the solids. The bitumen associated with the solids is burned, as is residual coke left from the combustion of the bitumen. The product particles are discrete, dry and clean. They can be slurried with water and passed through gravity concentrating means, such as a spiral, to produce a concentrate containing in the order of 18% titanium and 8% zirconium.

Abstract: Titanium dioxide component is removed from a mineral containing titanium dioxide component which is difficult to be separated by the conventional electrostatic separation.In the electrostatic separation from the mineral containing titanium dioxide component, the mineral is pretreated by a heat-treatment in an atmosphere of reducing, neutral or inert gas or a mixture thereof so as to change the electrostatic property of titanium dioxide and separating by an electrostatic separation.

Abstract: A catalytic ilmenite reduction procedure is described which provides a magnetic fraction consisting of the iron and titanium values of the ilmenite ores and a non-magnetic gangue. The magnetic fraction, after solubilization of the reduced iron, provides beneficiated Rutile-type titania product with purity ranges from 80 to 95% depending on the grade of ilmenite starting material. The titanias are further purified by sulfation and a metathetical reaction to convert the titanyl sulfates to chlorides by CaCl.sub.2.

Abstract: Minerals, for example, zirconium minerals, are subjected to a chemical process of comminution, in particular with the aid of strong acids. These acids dissolve the carbonatic and silicious cements which hold together the crystalline forms of different mineral species from one another, e.g., magnetic and non-magnetic species to render them amenable to further separation in a subsequent ore dressing stage, e.g., by high intensity magnetic separation. This process is operative as these cements dissolve in acid more readily than most of the other compounds of the ores. This separation was found to take place more effectively than by the usual methods of mechanical grinding and without the disadvantage of an unfavorable particle size distribution which results from grinding. It was found that the same process conditions also resulted in a particularly favorable removal of naturally occurring radioactive contaminants from the minerals, in particuar thorium and uranium.

Abstract: In the production of synthetic rutile from a titanium and iron-containing ore by reducing most of the iron(III) in said ore into iron(II) with a steam-containing gaseous reducing agent at a temperature of about 850.degree. to 1100.degree. C, followed by leaching to remove the iron(II) and iron(III) and drying of the residue, the improvement which comprises using as said reducing agent a gas containing hydrogen and steam and optionally at least one of CO and CO.sub.2 wherein the H.sub.2 + CO : H.sub.2 O + CO.sub.2 molar ratio of the reducing agent is between 0.36 and 1.8. The reducing agent may comprise a mixture of hydrogen and steam or it may be the partial combustion product of a hydrocarbon. Advantageously, the ore is oxidized at 550.degree. to 1200.degree. C prior to reduction. The reduction permits ready dissolution of the iron during leaching without risk of hydrogen evolution.

Abstract: It is known to prepare highly active catalyst components for a Ziegler polymerization catalyst by reduction of titanium tetrachloride with an aluminum alkyl. An improvement in the preparation of such catalysts which leads to production of highly sterospecific as well as highly active catalyst components consists of including in the preparation the step of washing the reaction mixture which contains the desired TiCl.sub.3 composition with an aliphatic hydrocarbon at temperatures above 40.degree.C and separating the washed solids from the wash liquid at a temperature above 40.degree.C. A heat treatment above 80.degree.C precedes, accompanies, or follows the washing and separation step. The washing step may be carried out in a single or in multiple stages.

Abstract: Process for post-treating a chlorinated ilmenite ore which has undergone a selective chlorination treatment in the presence of a solid carbonaceous material, which comprises subjecting the chlorinated ilmenite ore to a magnetic separation in a high magnetic field to separate it into a magnetic portion and non-magnetic portion, subjecting the residual of the solid carbonaceous material concentrated in the non-magnetic portion to flotation, using a frothing agent such as methylisobutylcarbinol and a collector for a sulfide ore such as xanthate, Aerofloat or the like, and washing a gangue value partially liberated from the ilmenite ore with water or suspending it in water in said flotation to separate these materials respectively thereby to produce an artificial rutile with a TiO.sub.2 content of at least 95% as a final product.

Abstract: Purification of ilmenite from chromite impurities by a two step magnetic separation wherein magnetically susceptible chromite is magnetically removed, followed by an oxidizing roasting of the ilmenite and a subsequent magnetic separation of ilmenite from the remaining chromite impurities to obtain an ilmenite with 1% or less chromite.