In a short word, we get titanium by chemistry method from titanium ores.
Here is a brief introduction of the process as follow.
For the smelting of titanium minerals are mainly ilmenite (FeTiO3), rutile (TiO2) and other perovskite. The treated ore to be volatile titanium tetrachloride, and then restore the obtained titanium magnesium.
Commonly used industrial method of sulfuric acid decomposition of ilmenite Preparation of titanium dioxide, titanium dioxide Preparation by the titanium tetrachloride. Concentrated sulfuric acid treatment grated Ilmenite (concentrate), took place the following chemical reaction:
FeTiO3 +3 H2SO4 == Ti (SO4) 2 + FeSO4 +3 H2O
FeTiO3 +2 H2SO4 == TiOSO4 + FeSO4 +2 H2O
FeO + H2SO4 == FeSO4 + H2O
Fe2O3 +3 H2SO4 == Fe2 (SO4) 3 +3 H2O
In order to remove impurities Fe2 (SO4) 3, by adding iron filings, Fe3 + reduced to Fe2 +, and then the solution cooled to below 273K, making FeSO4 • 7H2O (green vitriol) as a by-product of crystallization.
Ti (SO4) 2 and TiOSO4 water metatitanic parse out the white precipitate, the reaction is:
Ti (SO4) 2 + H2O == TiOSO4 + H2SO4
TiOSO4 +2 H2O == H2TiO3 + H2SO4
Calcination metatitanic that obtained Ti:
H2TiO3 == TiO2 + H2O
The industrial system, titanium tetrachloride reduction method to restore the use of titanium dioxide. The TiO2 (rutile or natural), and charcoal powder mixture is heated to 1000 ~ 1100K, chlorination treatment, and to generate TiCl4, vapor condensation.
TiO2 +2 C +2 Cl2 = TiCl4 +2 CO