The paper presents the results of chlorination of beneficiated rutile and
struverite (a tantalum-niobium bearing, rutile type mineral in alluvial tin
deposits) by carbon tetrachloride in the range 623K to 773K. The
chlorination of rutile could reach near completion at 773K in about an
hour. The process was found to follow a modified pore-blocking law,
with the basic reaction constant K varying inversely with the particle size,
so that the basic process may be a reaction under interface control
(chemical control) as modified by the pore blocking effect. The pore
blocking factors for the various experimental conditions were evaluated
and the predicted curves showed good agreement with the experimental
data. In the case of Struverite, a similar kinetic behaviour was observed
but the chlorination process was relatively slower than that in rutile. It
was also observed that in struverite, niobium got chlorinated faster,
followed by tantalum and titanium, indicating a good possibility of
separation by chlorination using carbon tetrachloride.