Digestion of a laterite ore with sulfuric acid dissolves all constituents except silica. The resulting sulfates—aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate, titanyl sulfate, and magnesium sulfate—remain in solution at approximately 90° C. Hot filtration separates silica. Solution flow over metallic iron reduces ferric sulfate to ferrous sulfate. Controlled ammonia addition promotes hydrolysis and precipitation of hydrated titania from titanyl sulfate that is removed by filtration. Continued addition of ammonia forms ferrous ammonium sulfate and ammonium aluminum sulfate solutions. Alum is preferentially separated by crystallization. Ammonia addition to ammonium alum solution precipitates aluminum hydroxide, leaving ammonium sulfate in solution. The remaining iron rich liquor also contains magnesium sulfate. The addition of oxalic acid generates insoluble ferrous oxalate which is thermally decomposed to ferrous oxide and carbon monoxide which is used to reduce the ferrous oxide to metallic iron. Further oxalic acid addition precipitates magnesium oxalate which is thermally decomposed to magnesium oxide.