Chemical benefication of Rosetta ilmenite by direct reduction leaching

Rosetta ilmenite assaying 40–47% TiO2 is not suitable for processing to titanium metal or TiO2 pigment due to its high iron content. The present paper is concerned with studying a rapid and economic process to upgrade Rosetta ilmenite concentrate into synthetic rutile through simultaneous iron removal and titanium insolubilization. This has been possible by using HCl in a low acid/ilmenite mole ratio under reducing conditions created by the addition of metallic iron. A synthetic rutile assaying 89% TiO2 was prepared from an ilmenite concentrate of about 47% TiO2. A remaining total iron content of less than 7% Fe2O3 is most probably due to complex mineralogical composition resulting from the existence of the three fundamental solid solution series in the FeO–Fe2O3–TiO2 ternary system.