GB862392A - The production of metal chlorides - Google Patents

Abstract

Iron and/or titanium chlorides are obtained by bringing a mixture of carbon and a metal oxide-bearing material containing as its principal metal component titanium oxide or iron and titanium oxides, for example ilmenite, rutile, and slags, into contact with hydrogen chloride as the sole chloridising agent, the amount of carbon in the mixture being sufficient to prevent the formation of water as reaction product, thereby obtaining iron and/or titanium chlorides, elemental hydrogen, and a carbon oxide or oxides. Preferably the chloride obtained is volatilized and condensed out of the issuing gases and the bed is fluidised or maintained in dynamic suspension by the hydrogen chloride, either alone or with the assistance of an inert gas. To obtain titanium tetrachloride a temperature of at least 1250 DEG C. is employed, whereas iron chloride may be selectively formed at 650 DEG C.-1100 DEG C. Thus, a mixture of iron and titanium oxides may first be chloridised at 650 DEG -1100 DEG C. to remove the iron as chloride, and the iron-free residue then treated by the above method at at least 1250 DEG C. to recover iron-free titanium tetrachloride, or the iron chloride first obtained may be oxidised to form iron oxide and elemental chlorine, and this chlorine used to chlorinate the residue to obtain titanium tetrachloride.