4. Titanium tetrachloride production

Carbochlorination of titanium oxides

The rutile (95% TiO ₂ ) carbochlorination process was developed and then started in 1958 by Du Pont de Nemours.

Ilmenite, an ore less rich in TiO ₂ and containing more iron oxide, is also used.

Fixed-bed or fluidized-bed carbochlorination of a rutile/coke mixture with chlorine gas takes place between 800 and 1,100°C. After gas filtration, the gaseous mixture is cooled, volatile chlorides such as T iCl ₄ , SiCl ₄ , FeCl ₃ are condensed to the liquid state for the first two, then separated by distillation or filtration for FeCl...