Preparation of metallic halides

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF CHLORINATING AN IRON-TITANIUM BEARING MATERIAL CONTAINING AT LEAST 10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF IRON IN CHLORINATABLE FORM AND AT LEAST 10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF TITANIM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING A FLUIDIZED BED COMPRISING A TIO2 BEARING MATERIAL AND A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT IN A CHLORINATING GAS, THE TIO2 CONTENT OF THE BED BEING AT LEAST 85 PERCENT BY WEIGHT AND THE IRON LESS THAN 10 PERCENT BASED ON THE TOTAL TIO2 AND IRON CONTENT IN THE BED, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BED ABOVE ABOUT 600* C. WHERREBY TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE IS FORMED AND VOLATILIZED, INTRODUCING SAID IRON-TITANIUM BEARING MATERIAL AND A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT INTO THE BED WHEREBY CHLORINATION OF SAID MATERIAL OCCURS AND FURTHER IRON CHLORIDE AND TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE ARE FORMED, AND CONTROLLIN THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID IRON-TITANIUM BEARING MATERIAL INTO THE FLUIDIZED BED TO MAINTAIN THE TIO2 CONTENT OF THE BED AT LEAST 85 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED UPON THE TIO2 AND IRON IN THE BED, WHEREBY THE RATIO OF IRON IS TITANIUM IN CHLORINATABLE FORM IN THE BED IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE RATIO OF IRON TO TITANIUM IN CHLORINATABLE FORM IN THE IRON-TITANIUM BEARING MATERIAL FED TO THE BED.