Chlorination of reduced ilmenites of different grades (primary, secondary and HYTI 70) and synthetic rutile was investigated at 235 degrees C. The main phases of primary and secondary ilmenites were Fe(2)Ti(3)O(9) and FeTiO(3); HYTI 70 contained TiO(2); synthetic rutile consisted of titania with titanium suboxides and trace amount of iron. Iron oxides were reduced to metallic iron. Titanium oxides were reduced to titanium oxycarbide or oxycarbonitride; reduced samples contained a small amount of titanium suboxides. In chlorination of reduced ilmenite concentrates and synthetic rutile, titanium oxycarbide or oxycarbonitride, metallic iron, and Ti(2)O(3) were chlorinated. The degree of chlorination of both iron and titanium oxycarbide/oxycarbonitride was 95-98%; chlorination of iron was faster than that of titanium oxycarbonitride. The removal of iron by leaching increased the chlorination rate of titanium oxycarbide/oxycarbonitride: it was close to completion in 35 min. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.