US 5,935,545 AGranted

Process for producing an aqueous solution comprising ferric chloride

AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company

InventorsKevin J. Leary, Juergen Kurt Plischke, John Larson Owen, John Robert Stecher

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Abstract

The present invention provides a process for preparing an aqueous solution of FeCl.sub.3. The process involves the steps of: (a) reacting an ore material comprising titanium and iron with chlorine and coke to form a metal chloride vapor stream comprising titanium tetrachloride, ferrous chloride, ferric chloride and unreacted coke and ore solids; (b) cooling the metal chloride vapor stream to a temperature in the range of 350 to 500.degree. C. to condense at least some of the ferrous chloride; (c) separating the condensed ferrous chloride and the unreacted coke and ore solids from the metal chloride vapor stream; (d) cooling the metal chloride vapor stream to a temperature in the range of 180 to 240.degree. C. to form a precipitate comprising ferric chloride; and (e) adding the precipitate to water to form an aqueous solution comprising ferric chloride. The resulting aqueous solution has a high FeCl.sub.3 content, and can be used in wastewater treatment applications.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A process for preparing an aqueous solution comprising ferric chloride, comprising the steps of:

(a) reacting an ore material comprising titanium and iron with chlorine and coke to form a metal chloride vapor stream comprising titanium tetrachloride, ferrous chloride, ferric chloride and unreacted coke and ore solids;
(b) cooling the metal chloride vapor stream to a temperature in the range of 350.degree. to 500.degree. C. to condense at least some of the ferrous chloride;
(c) feeding the metal chloride vapor stream into a cyclone at an inlet temperature in the range of 350.degree. to 500.degree. C. separating the condensed ferrous chloride and the unreacted coke and ore solids from the metal chloride vapor stream, and discharging the solids from the cyclone at an underflow temperature in the range of 260.degree. to 325.degree. C.;
(d) cooling the metal chloride vapor stream resulting from step (c) to a temperature in the range of 180.degree. to 240.degree. C. to form a precipitate comprising ferric chloride;
and
(e) adding the precipitate to water to form an aqueous solution comprising ferric chloride.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.