I just checked out the Neomet technology. It looks very good, is...

I just checked out the Neomet technology.  It looks very good, is cost effective and tailored to the client's needs.

From Neomet



Titanium Dioxide Production

Titanium dioxide is conventionally produced through the chloride and sulphate process. In the chloride process, Ilmenite, synthetic rutile or Ti slag is chlorinated at a temperature of about 1000°C in the presence of carbon to produce titanium tetrachloride which is oxidised in the presence of oxygen to produce rutile grade titanium dioxide. In the sulphate process Ilmenite or Ti slag is reacted with concentrated sulphuric acid to produce titanium and iron sulphates. Titanium dioxide is precipitated from the combined sulphate solution and calcined to produce Anatase grade titanium dioxide. The sulphate process produces a lot of acidic wastes that has to be neutralised for safe disposal
Titanium dioxide (Anatase and rutile grade) can be produced using the Neomet Technology process. The Ilmenite , synthetic rutile or Ti slag is reacted with hydrochloric acid under atmospheric pressure and temperature below 95°C . All metals including titanium and iron dissolves forming their respective chlorides. The leach solution containing the metal chlorides is passed through the Neomet acid regeneration process to recover the acid and iron oxide. Titanium is precipitated from the leach solution and calcined to produce the titanium dioxide. The process produces very little benign waste and all the acid used in the process is recycled. Associated metals like iron and aluminium is recovered as coproducts. The ilmenite does not need any pretreatment prior to the leaching.
The main advantages of the Neomet process for the production of titanium dioxide are as follows.

• Both grades (Anatase or Rutile) can be produced by altering the process conditions
• Co products like vanadium, iron and aluminium oxides can be recovered
• Very little benign waste is produced from the process
• Almost all of the acid used in the process is recycled through the proprietary acid regeneration process

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The pathway for developing a Neomet Technology based metalliferous project is consistent with industry standards. Project initiation leads to various levels of feasibility study, definition, design and into project implementation and ultimately the commercial production phase.
Prior to entering into a full scale metallurgical testwork program to support study activities it is often recommended that a preliminary sighter-level evaluation test of representative ore sample is conducted at the Alphamet laboratory in Montreal. This initial test will be completed at no cost to the client and is aimed at providing the following outcomes:

• General characterisation of the ore sample
• Suitability of the Neomet Technology process for extracting saleable products
• Defining a suitable development pathway for further more detailed assessment

Looks good - perhaps the latest **ba focused cap raise is to produce enough ore to progress to stage two.

http://www.neometals.com.au/alphamet.php