he sulphate process involves 3 main stages:

1. Dissolving the ore

2. Formation of hydrated titanium dioxide
3. Formation of anhydrous titanium dioxide

The ore used is usually ilmenite, FeTiO3. It is ground finely and dissolved in sulfuric acid to
form a mixture of sulphates. The reaction occurs is:

The solution with recycled iron sources will convert any iron(lll) ions that may be present to
iron(ll) ions:

The remaining solution contains titanyl sulphate, TiOSO4.

The next stage involves the hydrolysis of the titanyl sulphate in solution to give insoluble,
hydrated titanium dioxide:

The final stage of the process is the heating of the solid in a furnace, known as a calciner.

Temperature rises from 313 K, as it enters, to over 1000 K as it leaves

Heating evaporates the water and decomposes any remaining sulfuric acid in the solid.

After cooling, the product is 'milled' to form crystals of the size needed.

There are two main stages in chloride process :

1. The conversion of rutile to titanium(iv) chloride
2. The oxidation of titanium(iv) chloride
The rutile is fed into a heated bed together with a source of carbon, usually coke. Chlorine
is fed into the bed and the reaction takes place to form titanium(IV) chloride in the vapour
form which is removed from the bed.

Liquid titanium(IV) chloride is vaporised and burnt in oxygen, together with a hydrocarbon
fuel source