Patent ID: 7638113

Claim:
A process for making titanium dioxide, comprising: (a) heating a titanium tetrachloride starting material to a temperature of from about 300 to 650° C.; (b) heating a stream of oxygen starting material; (c) reacting titanium tetrachloride starting material with oxygen starting material by contacting a flow of the heated titanium tetrachloride starting material with a flow of the heated oxygen starting material in an oxidation reactor under oxidation conditions to form a gaseous product stream containing titanium dioxide; (d) separating the titanium dioxide from the gaseous product stream to form a process stream from which substantially all the titanium dioxide has been separated; (e) analyzing the process stream in real time to detect a concentration of titanium tetrachloride in the process stream; (f) comparing the concentration of titanium tetrachloride detected in the process stream to a titanium tetrachloride aim point concentration; and (g) modifying the oxidation conditions by increasing or decreasing the flow of the titanium tetrachloride starting material or increasing or decreasing the flow of the oxygen starting material, adjusting oxidation reactor pressure, changing the temperature of heating the titanium tetrachloride starting material or changing the temperature of heating the oxygen starting material, or removing a buildup in the oxidation reactor, to restore or maintain the concentration of titanium tetrachloride in the process stream at the aim point.