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A New Process to Upgrade Ilmenite to Synthetic Rutile
Proceedings Conference of Metallurgists, Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum, Montreal 2014 (2014)
  • Fathi Habashi
Abstract
Ilmenite occurs in black sand at the mouth of great rivers as in India, or as massive deposits like in Quebec Province in Canada. It is unsuitable for processing into pigment or for metal production because of its high iron content and its low grade. Pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical methods have been developed to cope with this problem which resulted in the production of two commercial products that became known as synthetic rutile and Sorelslag. Attempts are also underway to produce TiO2 pigment directly from ilmenite. This report presents a newly developed process called the Magpie process, which enables the production of high-grade synthetic rutile (over 95% TiO2) from low grade ilmenite (10-12% Ti02). Naturally, if such process is applied for low-grade ore it can be applied with advantage to high grade material as well.
Keywords
  • Hydrochloric acid,
  • oxyhydrolysis,
  • Magpie process,
  • leaching,
  • titanium dioxide,
  • ferric oxide,
  • vanadium
Disciplines
Publication Date
October, 2014
Citation Information
Fathi Habashi. "A New Process to Upgrade Ilmenite to Synthetic Rutile" Proceedings Conference of Metallurgists, Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum, Montreal 2014 (2014)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/fathi_habashi/138/