Patent ID: 7998430

Claim:
An apparatus for the production of synthetic rutile from titaniferous feedstocks including ilmenite, leucoxene or titania slag, which have been potentiated for leaching, said apparatus including a co-current leaching reactor for reacting liquid and solid reagents, said reactor including a plurality of downcomer and riser tubes inter-connected in a continuous manner; input means for inputting leaching reagent and said potentiated feedstock to an input end of the reactor; output means for outputting solid and liquid products from an output end of said plurality of tubes; said output means being at a lower hydrostatic pressure than said input means whereby flow is driven from said input means to said output means; said reactor being configured to maintain said flow under substantially plug flow conditions, and at least one of the diameter of successive downcomer tubes or the diameter of successive riser tubes is increasing from said input end to said output end.