How is synthetic rutile produced from ilmenite?

Synthetic rutile is produced from ilmenite to create a high-grade feedstock suitable for the carbo-chlorination process, which requires an ore containing more than 90 percent titanium dioxide (TiO${}_2$). While natural rutile already meets this requirement, ilmenite must be upgraded to reach a concentration of 90 to 93 percent TiO${}_2$.

This upgrading is achieved through a combination of pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques. These processes effectively remove impurities from the ilmenite ore, resulting in a synthetic product that can be mixed with other materials—such as natural rutile, leucoxene, or titanium-rich slags—to provide the necessary feedstock for the production of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl${}_4$).1