GB969619A - Method of producing metal oxides - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for the production of a finely divided oxide of a Group 3 or 4 metal (particularly titanium, but Si, Zr, Sn, Al, Hf and Th are also mentioned) by the high-temperature oxidation of a volatile metal halide comprises <PICT:0969619/C1/1> introducing a stream of said volatile metal halide into a free oxygen-containing hot reaction space and simultaneously introducing into said reaction space, adjacent the point of entry of said metal halide stream and in a direction substantially tangential to the cross-sectional area of said metal halide stream, separate streams of a burning fuel and an auxiliary gas. The fuel may be CO, natural gas, a hydrocarbon fuel, a suspension of carbon particles or sulphur chloride, whilst the auxiliary gas may be air, Cl2, N2, CO2 or a noble gas. The oxygen for the reaction may be supplied separately or admixed with either the halide stream or the burning fuel. A suitable apparatus for the reaction is illustrated in Fig. 1. Vertical reactor 2 consists of an elongated steel column having a cover 4 and a floor 6 and is lined with firebrick 8. Near the top the reactor is provided with a tangential port 10 which contains an internal burner 12 mounted on face plate 14, and which supplies burning fuel to the reactor. Port 10 terminates at the inner surface 3 of the top part of the reactor, and diametrically opposite to port 10 is another tangential port 16 through which enters the auxiliary gas. More than one auxiliary gas port may be provided. The metal halide enters axially through port 22. The burning fuel and auxiliary gas spiral round the halide stream and are preferably out of phase one with the other. Various additives may be added to the reaction space, e.g. metal chloride, white metal oxides, chlorine, water or aromatic organic compounds.