Manufacture of titanium chloride and metallic iron from titaniferous materials containing iron oxides

A process conducted at approximately one atmosphere pressure in two chemical reaction zones -- a first and a second -- for making metallic iron in a dense phase from an original material containing titanium oxide and at least one iron oxide, comprising:

• a. passing into said first chemical reaction zone, which is maintained at a temperature between 600.degree. C and 1000.degree. C, four solids:
• said original material, silica, a solid reductant, and at least one chloride of a third metal chosen from the alkaline and alkaline earth metals, said chloride being present in at least sufficient amount to supply the chlorine necessary to produce the tetrachloride of all of the titanium present in said original material;
• and said silica being present in at least a sufficient amount, which when added to that present in said original material will combine with all of said third metal in said halide;
• b. chlorinating in said first chemical reaction zone by titanium tetrachloride in an added gaseous stream a substantial part of the iron in said iron oxide in said original material to produce by a first chemical reaction an iron chloride in a gas stream and additional titanium oxide;
• c. separating said gas stream containing said iron chloride from the solid residue of said first chemical reaction, said solid residue comprising substantially both the titanium oxide in said original material and that formed in the first chemical reaction, also said chloride of said third metal, also said silica, also an excess of said solid reductant over that used in said first chemical reaction;
• d. passing a substantial part of said separated gas stream containing said iron chloride into said second chemical reaction zone maintained at a maximum temperature between 1535.degree. and 1950.degree. C;
• e. passing a substantial part of said solid residue of said first chemical reaction zone into said second chemical reaction zone;
• f. reacting in said second chemical reaction zone by a second chemical reaction said iron chloride in said gas stream with said titanium oxide, said silica, said chloride of said third metal and said solid reductant, all of which have come in the solids residue from said first reaction zone;
• g. producing in said second reaction zone by said second chemical reaction:
• molten metallic iron, the fused silicate of said third metal, and a gas stream containing said titanium tetrachloride;
• h. separating said gas stream containing said titanium tetrachloride and passing at least a part of said titanium tetrachloride back to said first chemical reaction zone to allow it to enter into said first chemical reaction;
• and
• i. separating said molten iron and said fused silicate which acts as a flux to carry away from said molten iron at least some of any unreacted solids and impurities present in said four solids charged to said first reaction zone.