Patent ID: 7326390

Claim:
A sulfate process for producing titania from a titaniferous material comprising sequentially: (a) leaching the titaniferous material with a leach solution containing sulfuric acid and forming a leach liquor that includes an acidic solution of titanyl sulfate (TiOSO 4 ) and iron sulfate (FeSO 4 ); (b) separating the leach liquor and a residual solid phase from the leach step (a); (c) precipitating titanyl sulfate from the leach liquor from step (b); (d) separating the precipitated titanyl sulfate from the leach liquor to form a depleted liquor; (e) redissolving the precipitated titanyl sulfate; (f) hydrolysing the redissolved titanyl sulfate and forming a solid phase containing hydrated titanium oxides and a liquid phase; (g) separating the solid phase containing hydrated titanium oxides and the liquid phase; (h) calcining the solid phase from step (g) and forming titania; and (i) removing iron sulfate from one or both of the leach liquor from step (b) and the depleted liquor from step (d).