Abstract:
Ilmenite (FeTiO3) is an economically important mineral, used as the source of making titanium metal, titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment, and photocatalysts. In this study, a novel process for producing TiO2 pigment from ilmenite is presented. This process includes the burning of ilmenite with potassium hydrogen sulfate (KHSO4), dissolution of the burnt product in acid (H2SO4), hydrolysis, and calcination. The significant effects of reaction temperature, particle size, and potassium hydrogen sulfate-to- ilmenite mass ratio were studied. The optimum conditions were found to be 2 hours at 600oC; using FeTiO3:KHSO4mass ratio of 1:7; and 5-7% sulfuric acid solution.
Keywords:
ilmenite, material, pigment, titanium dioxide.