Tiomin patents proprietary technique

Tiomin Resources (TIO-T) has received a U.S. patent for a proprietary process that produces high-grade titanium dioxide feedstock synthetic rutile from ilmenite.

Applications have been filed in six other countries, though this is only the third such patent received.

Tiomin says its technique produces a high-quality product and is applicable to various ilmenite sources, including its own deposits in Kenya and Canada.

Resources at the Kwale property in Kenya are pegged at 200 million tonnes, consisting of 3.8 million tonnes ilmenite, 1 million tonnes rutile and 600,000 tonnes zircon. A prefeasibility study concluded that this is sufficient for

15 years of production, equivalent to 331,000 tonnes ilmenite, 71,000 tonnes rutile and 33,000 tonnes

zircon annually (T.N.M., Nov. 16-22/98).

A final feasibility study is expected in 10 months.