The Altair TiO2 pigment process is based on hydrochloric acid leaching of ilmenite at a high-acid concentration Titanium is transferred by solvent extraction into a high-purity aqueous stream with a high titanium concentration HCl gas is recovered by pressure-swing distillation and is used to regenerate the leaching solution A method of TiO2 recovery in a dense film with simultaneous dehydration and hydrolysis provides great flexibility in adjusting the characteristics of the TiO2 pigment product. Modifications of this method lead to a flexible, low-cost, high-tonnage process first for the production of nano-sized TiO2, and later for stabilized zirconia-based nanomaterials and nano-sized titanates.