Titanium minerals beneficiation

This chapter discusses flotation properties of major titanium minerals and beneficiation methods used in some operating plants. In recent years, a new technology has been developed for beneficiation of hard rock titanium minerals. This is also discussed in this chapter. 

Manufacture. Titanium chloride is manufactured by the chlorination of titanium compounds (1,134—138). The feedstocks usually used are mineral or synthetic mtile, beneficiated ilmenite, and leucoxenes. Because these are all oxygen-containing, it is necessary to add carbon as well as coke from either coal or fuel oil during chlorination to act as a reducing agent. The reaction is normally carried out as a continuous process in a fluid-bed reactor (139). The bed consists of a mixture of the feedstock and coke. These are fluidized by a stream of chlorine iatroduced at the base (see Fluidization). The amount of heat generated in the chlorination process depends on the relative proportions of CO2 or CO that are formed (eqs. 1 and 2), and the mechanism that... 

The process was invented and developed in Australia in the 1960s, initially by R. G. Becher at the Mineral Processing Laboratories of the West Australian Government Chemical Centre, and later by Western Titanium. In 1998 it was operating in three companies at four sites in Western Australia. Most of the beneficiate is used for the manufacture of titanium pigments some is used in titanium metal production and in welding rod coatings. Annual production in 1997 was approximately 600,000 tonnes. 

Method 3 - It involves bulk titanium/zircon flotation using succinamate collector followed by bulk concentrate pretreatment and selective zircon flotation. This method was developed for beneficiation of the Wimmera heavy mineral sand from Australia [12], The beneficiation flowsheet with type and level of reagents is shown in Figure 25.17. 

The success of the carbonaceous reduction of iron oxide has opened doors for the beneficiation of other minerals that coexist with oxides of iron also known as mineral sands. Examples of these ores are ilmenite, containing titanium dioxide and laterite ore, containing nickel oxide. Titanium dioxide (Ti02) is one of the most important inorganic materials used as a pigment for paper, plastics, paints, textile, and so on. 

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