Digestion of titanium-bearing ores

Titanium compounds are recovered from titanium-bearing materials by a process that comprises digesting said materials in a concentrated mineral acid in the presence of a surfactant, thus obtaining an aqueous solution of a water-soluble titanium compound. The surfactant, which may be present in quantities not more than 10% by weight based on the weight of titanium bearing materials, may be non-ionic, anionic or cationic, and suitable compounds include, a polyoxyethylene alkyl quaternary ammonium salt, a long chain aryl polythylene oxide condensation product, a polyethylene glycol or a dialkyl ester of sulphosuccinic acid. The mineral acid used may be concentrated sulhuric acid of at least 80% by volume, the digestion step may be performed at an elevated temperature, and the titanium bearing materials may be ground to below 325 mesh (U.S. stanard).