TiO 2 white pigments were used in various applications due to their magnificent optical and electronic properties. In this paper TiO 2 was recovered from red gypsum which is a waste generated at TiO 2 production industry. The effect of time and temperature in sulphuric acid leaching processes was optimized. TiO 2 powders were synthesized through thermal precipitation process with the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as a complexing and purification agent. The obtained powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, UV-Vis spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Experimental results show that powders in anatase form have a 3.2 eV band gap with a crystallite size 30-50 nm.