Chlorination of ores containing alkali or alkaline earth values

A process for chlorinating metalliferous ores containing oxide materials including alkali or alkaline earth materials, the process comprising:

• providing a downflow chlorinator having an upper chlorinating zone and a lower quenching zone;
• introducing a feed stream into said chlorinator for downward flow, said feed sream comprising metal oxide materials, carbon materials, and a chlorine gas source;
• chlorinating said metal oxide materials within the chlorinating zone in an entrained-downflow chlorination reactor in the presence of carbon at temperatures above about 800.degree. C. to substantially chlorinate said metal oxide materials including the alkali or alkaline earth materials to produce down-flowing chlorinated products including alkali or alkaline earth chlorides;
• quenching the down-flowing chlorinated products within a lower quenching zone with a cooling fluid being sprayed into the downflowing chlorinated products to produce quenched chlorinated products including solid alkali or alkaline earth chlorides, said chlorinated products entering said quenching zone being quenched by liquid cooling spray in the quenching zone, said liquid cooling spray evaporated by contact with said chlorinated products before reaching the walls of said quenching zone to prevent said chlorinated products from collecting on the said walls;
• and
• removing the solid alkali and alkaline earth chlorides from the chlorinated products.