Patent ID: 7485269

Claim:
A sulfate process for producing titania from a titaniferous material which includes the steps of: (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) separating titanyl sulfate from the leach liquor from step (b) and using at least part of the leach liquor remaining after separation of the titanyl sulphate as part of the leach solution in one of the leach step (a) or a further leach step; (d) hydrolysing the separated titanyl sulfate and forming a solid phase containing hydrated titanium oxides; (e) separating the solid phase containing hydrated titanium oxides and a liquid phase that are produced in the hydrolysis step (d); and (f) calcining the solid phase from step (e) and forming titania; (g) a further leach step of leaching the residual solid phase from step (b) with a leach solution containing sulfuric acid and forming a leach liquor that includes an acidic solution of titanyl sulfate and iron sulfate and a residual solid phase; (h) separating the leach liquor and the residual solid phase from step (g); and (i) supplying the separated leach liquor to the leach step (a) and/or mixing the separated leach liquor with the leach liquor from step (b).