Titanium Tetrachloride Production from Synthetic Rutile

Product

Titanium Tetrachloride. Titanium tetrachloride is a chemical intermediate used in producing titanium metal and titanium dioxide pigments. It also serves in creating smoke screens and as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Produced by chlorinating titanium-containing ores, it is stored as a volatile liquid under moisture-free conditions. Its conversion to titanium dioxide provides pigments with high opacity and brightness for paints and coatings.

Raw Materials

Synthetic Rutile. Rutile is a natural form of Titanium Dioxide. It is a common mineral found in high-temperature and high-pressure rocks. Since only a small number of rutile deposits can be mined economically many different processes have been developed to purify ilmenite (a mineral that contains titanium dioxide and greater amounts of iron impurities) through the reduction of Fe3+ with carbon or hydrogen. The resulting material is called synthetic rutile and contains 90-96 wt% Titanium Dioxide - much more than the 44-65 wt% Titanium Dioxide found in ilmenite.

Hydrochloric Acid. Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), commonly found as hydrochloric acid (a.k.a. muriatic acid) when dissolved in water, is a highly important industrial chemical. Hydrochloric acid has widespread applications in various industries, with major uses in steel pickling, pH control, water treatment, and as a catalyst in chemical synthesis. It is also employed in the production of chlorides, fertilizers, dyes, and in food processing. Hydrogen chloride is primarily produced through the direct synthesis of hydrogen and chlorine, or as a by-product of chlorination reactions in various organic processes. The HCl gas can be absorbed in water to produce aqueous hydrochloric acid, which is the form most widely used industrially.