Acid benefication of ore
AssigneeMillennium Inorganic Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsEarl Smith, Michael Robinson, Kirit Talati
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Abstract
Processes for the efficient and economical beneficiation of titaniferous ore are provided. A unique process for beneficiating ore comprising pretreatment of the ore by oxidation and reduction, followed by acid leaching with sulfuric acid has been developed. The acid used in this process may be recycled, which will thereby increase the efficiency of the process. Preferably the ore treated according to the present invention is ilmenite ore.
Claims32
A process for making a TiO2 product comprising:
- a. leaching a pretreated titaniferous ore with sulfuric acid to form a liquid phase and an undissolved titanium oxide phase, wherein said pretreated titaniferous ore is comprised of iron and substantially all of the iron is ferrous iron and said pretreated ore is obtained by oxidizing and reducing a titaniferous ore;
- and
- b. separating a TiO2 product from said undissolved titanium oxide phase.
A process for making a TiO2 product comprising:
- a. leaching a pretreated titaniferous ore with sulfuric acid to form a liquid phase and an undissolved titanium oxide phase, wherein said pretreated titaniferous ore is comprised of iron and substantially all of the iron is ferrous iron, and wherein said liquid phase is comprised of fines;
- and
- b. separating a TiO2 product from said fines.
A process for making a first TiO2 product and second TiO2 product comprising:
- a. leaching pretreated titaniferous ore with sulfuric acid to form a liquid phase and an undissolved titanium oxide phase, wherein said pretreated titaniferous ore is comprised of iron and substantially all of the iron is ferrous iron;
- b. separating a first TiO2 product from said undissolved titanium oxide phase;
- and
- c. separating a second TiO2 product from said liquid phase.
A process for recycling acid during the production of a TiO2 product, the process comprising the steps of:
- a. treating a first titaniferous ore with a leaching agent to form a liquid phase and a coarse particle phase, wherein said liquid phase comprises dissolved iron salts;
- b. separating the liquid phase from the coarse particle phase;
- c. crystallizing and removing said dissolved iron salts from said liquid phase to yield a residual acid;
- and
- d. recycling said residual acid to treat a second titaniferous ore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.