Methods of preparing a surface-activated titanium oxide product and of using same in water treatment processes

A method for removing dissolved contaminants from a dilute aqueous stream, comprising the steps of:

• adding a hydrolysable titanium compound to said dilute aqueous stream;
• co-precipitating a hydrolyzed titanium compound and said contaminants from said dilute aqueous stream, thereby forming a co-precipitate;
• and
• filtering said co-precipitate from the dilute aqueous stream using a packed bed filter,
• wherein said filtering step is performed concurrently with said co-precipitating step.

A particulate titanium oxide product, comprising crystalline a natase having a n a vailable h ydroxyl content of at least about 0.2 mmol/gm of titanium oxide, wherein said product is prepared by a process including the steps of:

• preparing a titanium oxide precipitate from an aqueous mixture comprising at least one titanium compound;
• selecting a drying temperature to provide said titanium oxide precipitate with a high adsorptive capacity and a high rate of adsorption with respect to the dissolved contaminants;
• and
• drying said titanium oxide precipitate at said drying temperature for less than two hours, wherein said method does not include a calcining step.