Silicon tetrafluoride has been used as a fluoridating agent to extract titanium, as TiF4, from ilmenite at temperatures above 700 degrees C. Although the reaction is thermodynamically unfavorable, good conversions are obtained by disturbing the equilibrium of the system through the removal of the TiF4 from the reaction zone using a desublimation technique. The TiF4 is then converted by hydrolysis to TiO2 in the anatase form. All of the reagents can be recycled back into the process and the spent residue, which contains a small level of fluoride, requires only minor treatment before disposal.